Arsenal are reportedly close to signing Egyptian international Mohamed Elneny.
The 23-year-old, a three-time Swiss league champion with current club FC Basel, has agreed personal terms according to various reports.
According to Egyptian football specialists KingFut, the defensive midfielder is due to undertake a medical on Tuesday in Paris and will put pen-to-paper on a £5 million deal on Wednesday ahead of the transfer window opening on 1 January.
With Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere all sidelined due to injury and the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta (also injured) out of contract at the end of the season, it appears Elneny is being drafted as an option both for the short and long-term.
Arseblog News isn’t going to pretend to have watched the fella, so we’re not in a position to comment on whether he’s any good or not. We’ll just have to wait and see…
It does sound like a very ‘Arsene’ deal; Elneny is young, plying his trade in a second-tier European league and, as of a week ago, none of us had ever heard of him.
With that in mind we’re going low on the poo-ometer scale…
Lans
Looks fairly decent on the ball, but I haven’t been able to find too many clips of him defending and throwing his weight around in midfield (obviously) as doing the nitty gritty defending and breaking up the play isn’t exactly showreel stuff, but, that physicality is something we desperately need in midfield.
If we get this cunt in, hopefully he’s able to hit the ground running and offer something extra in midfield.
Renowned world scout Youe T’bhe exclaims that he seems alright. ‘Fighty’ in a Coquelin kind of way. Takes a lot of lkng range shots… I’m sure we will rectify that though. But does look like he can control a ball.
Literally a New Signing
Aans*, surely.
As an Egyptian Arsenal fan whose followed El-Nenny since his move to Basel, I can say he is a good signing but not an amazing one. He’s marginally better than Flamini defensively but much better technically. He’s a lot more of an Aaron Ramsey type midfielder as opposed to your hard-tackling, defensively minded, Francis Coquelin type midfielder. But bear in mind he has come a long way in such a short space of time and is only 23. He COULD be massive in the future. Could.
This is a smirk Wenger signing. He is getting arrogant for himself and the clubs good. Why pursue Lars Carvalho Kryochwak then go for this fella. it better work Arsene I’m getting sick of this gamble you take every time just because you can. I can assure you scouts at AFC are about as useful as an ashtray on a friggin motorbike…
Ugh, I’d typed out a lengthy reply to you but I’m going to summarise:
“Wenger takes a gamble every time” – in the past two seasons we’ve signed Alexis, Ozil, Cech…
“Useless scouts” – discovered Vieira, Fabregas, Anelka, van Persie etc
In conclusion, you’re an idiot. Happy New Year.
A signing on Jan 1st would at least show some intent.
True ! And a similar signing in August would have shown even more.
Yes, because in August Arsene should obviously have known that we’d have eight players including four starters injured long term, almost all of them in the same position. Obviously.
Of course there is no way he’ll know unless he is a sorcerer ( though sometimes I think he is).
But I ( a nobody) would think that he should anticipate these things.
Arsenal is one place history has shown over time to repeat itself especially when it comes to injuries.
Obviously, the advantage of bringing him in on January 1 is that we’ll have time to bring in a replacement once he tears his ACL in mid-January and/or turns out to be Ju Young Park part two.
You may say: Two Young Park.
A thankyou
No you may not.
Thanks. I now have coffee all over my keyboard.
I should really avoid drinking any form of liquid, beer included, when reading comments on here.
There’s a ScoutNation video of him so he must be good! (In fairness, I think the video was probably created because of Arsenal’s reported interest):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEpDYKeXV5c
“Weaknesses – Concentration, Discipline”
Yeah, sounds like we might end up signing him!
Didn’t watch the vid – oh dear!
Looks decent.
ScoutNation video — the gratuitous celebration scenes!
92% passing.
Short backlift.
Relatively off the radar.
Potential bargain.
He’s as good as signed.
There is no way Arsene can resist this.
The only way Wenger might be given pause for thought is if he shows up to his medical without an ankle button, inflamed bone, or slight setback.
Not many clips in there of the guy actually defending
Two things struck me watching this;
He looks to be a tidy player and FC Basel look like they play a similar pass and move style to us from those highlights
And there were clips where he was out in LM, RM, RW.. Basically anywhere but CDM lol
If it is to be him and Ramsey as our mids then one of them needs to sit back.
Interesting looking player and the price seems right though.
My very reliable Euroscout, Yo Utube, shows him to be a superb addition, if true, from the videos he had available.
Very excited indeed.
Wanayama
Please.
Ask any Soton fan. He has been poor for them all season (but for the game against us)…but then again we managed to make him look amazing and we also managed to make Shane Long look world class.;)
Let’s hope he doesn’t get injured during the medical! 🙂
I nearly fell off my seat laughing.
*insert koscielny injury joke*
me too….lol
Seriously though, given our injury situation, i’ll take any ABLE decent and ready player right now. and i suppose at 23, Arsene can still mould him to any type of player he wants!, ……assuming the basic technical skills and competence on the ball, which is s prerequisite for any arsenal player is there of course.
Great to see that we save some more money this season. Give Arteta a new contract so that we can save even more money next year.
Appears to be more like an Egyptian Aaron Ramsey though, rather than a specialist DM, so interesting how this one goes.
Another Aaron Ramsey ? Dear God, I hope not.
There is only room for one free-roaming superhero type in our side.
We need someone who will stick to a task without trying to seek glory outside the job that needs doing . . .
Please don’t think I am a Ramsey-hater, of course, but I am not a fan of who he thinks he is at the moment.
i think he thinks of himself pretty much what he’s been thinking of himself these last few years. I think the fans’ view has changed till the point we can almost hear a virtual groan across the arsenal community when he goes forward. The fans didn’t seem to have a problem a season and a half ago, when he he was banging them in week-in, week-out. Now that he’s seemed to be settled in a more realistically sustainable form of his career, suddenly the fans want him to sit around doing nothing while the front four attacks.
It depends on the situation and needs. Our attack wasn’t quite at its best and Arteta was the defacto sitting midfielder. The requirement has changed now. We have Ozil ahead and no proper sitting midfielder.
i agree that we could do with a better sitting midfielder, but flamini is arguably better than arteta at guarding against counter attacks
The Swiss league is the 2nd tier in Europe.I don’t know whether he will
make a difference.
Salah, Koscielny, giroud show otherwise.
Wait… where did you get that from? Giroud and Koscielny have never played in Switzerland according to Wikipedia.
However, I do agree that it’s wrong to dismiss Elneny because the Swiss league isn’t one of the top in Europe.
It just clicked. You were referring to them coming from the lower levels of French football. Good point!
Basel plays in the champions league every year against the likes of Madrid and give accounts of themselves. If you can play, you can play
Yup. I can’t stand this elitist nonsense that deems anyone not playing at a top team/league rubbish. West Ham and Southampton couldn’t even get into the EL because of teams I bet few in England had heard of.
You must be joking…ask Man United if Basel is 2nd-rate…
If Wenger is really serious about winning the league. He will sign a striker. Something to prove he really wants it. Because as we all know a mid is a necessity.
Or we’ll end up playing Giroud into the ground.
Exactly. Like most football fans, I think we should just play with 10 strikers and a goalie. That’s how you win the league
Fuck no! Goalies are for sissies…
Ox showed he can be an offensive goalie last season against a bunch of cunts.
The only thing that wins you titles is accumulating the most points during the year.
Typical
He had some very good games against both Chelsea and Sp*rs in the Europa League. Not sure about his performances against the big teams though.
Well, you’ve just sold me!….if he gave a good account of himself against Chelski and spuds, he gets my vote!
Alex Song vol2? Very same style
Are the pop up ads a new thing?
The performance last night must of been about 9 on the poo meter.
Only nine????
Basel play in the Swiss first division don’t they?
Indeed they do. I think the suggestion is that swiss league is ‘2nd tier’ compared to German, Spanish, English (etc.) leagues.
I trust Arsene’s judgment on him.
Liverpool & Stoke away and Chelsea at home will prove to be a baptism of fire for this young lad.
He looks decent. He’s a CM. But what we need is a DM. I think we should get both he and wanyama. I guess he’s cup tied in Europe so he won’t be able to play in the ucl for us. But he’ll come in handy next season when rosicky and arteta leave us.
I really dont want wanyama, he has terrible technique and passing and fouls constantly. He also rarely seems to make interceptions.
I watched yesterdays game with a bunch of saints fans and they were saying he has been much poorer this year than last. Buying a first choice player from another stable prem club would be really expensive.
If we sign elneny then we wont sign wanyama
Wanyama looks like he’s been enjoying the Christmas pie a bit too much. I liked it when Ramsey squared up to him; would have been nice to see some Arsenal teammates step in there as well…
When Gabriel was signed last January, he had been playing in the EL, but was not cup tied for CL.
Then we can sign, Lorik Cana, Scott Parker and Lee Cattermole.
Typical Wenger….doesn’t want to buy anyone who’d walk in to the first team. Doesn’t want to upset anyone. This fella won’t mind being benched, unlike Schniderlin, Carvalho, Kadiera, Wanyama……just happy to be at Arsenal.
Wenger is throwing away our best chance in years….two more defeats and we’re toast.
And that was exactly the reason why Wenger didn’t buy Ozil and Alexis.
Wait, what?
Well, I think his point is probably that we should be in the market for that level of player now (and especially now), but instead we buy from the bargain bin again.
My impression, however, is that Elneny is being bought as a back-up to Flamini / Ramsey, and that Wenger is also figuring on Coquelin being back in February. This means that we’re buying a DM who will be 3rd choice at best when everyone is fit.
I wouldn’t stress about it.
When i read the headline for this article in the mirror this morning, it said a fee was agreed, but the article said that the fee needed to be agreed, but the move was on, pending personal terms and a medical…
So aside from a Fee, Medical, Personal Terms, and a Work Permit, this is a done deal…
Impressed you can read in the mirror, with all the words backwards and everything…
Quite enjoyed that one, RedCurrant.
Well played.
*Doffs cap* well played
😀 Touche
Meh. Go big or go home.
Fucks sake, the performance last night typified Arsenal and this supposed transfer sums Wenger up. Hardly anyone knows him, he’ll obviously take time to settle and then Cazorla, Coquelin et al will return. I ask what is the point. We need a big name signing, who can immediately improve us, like the polish lad from Sevilla or after last night a destroyer like Wanyama. But no, we go and bid for a next to unknown midfielder from the Swiss league for a knock down price. We have the money in bucket loads, but Wenger won’t spend it. Great, we’re going… Read more »
Who knew Coq and Kos, before we signed them?
We have only started to win trophies after signing Ozil and Sanchez. It’s not the days of Henry’s and Vieiras anymore. As bad as it is, only top dollar can buy success, pointing the way at Man City, Chelsea, Barca, Madrid, Bayern. We have a good coach and he can have us play good football, but his timing of transfers have held us back, when we have had opportunities to address squad deficiencies. This signing is clearly short term and Wenger may spend big in the summer, but don’t expect our rivals to wait around for us to improve. They… Read more »
Keep reading the redrops. I’d rather Elneny for 5 than a Mangala for 42 million
Or even Mangala for 2 mill!
it is not a short-term signing, or rather, it won’t be* (let’s not get ahead of ourselves here). it’s a young player, and with flamini, arteta, rosicky about to leave next season and cazorla ageing, there’s obviously an eye to the future, and on both the midfield positions.
Jesus Wept, this is the response from people? How many seasons of top four near rans must it take for everyone to realise that the league or champions league will never be won by a manager that refuses to invest properly. I’ve been an Arsenal fan for over 30 years and I can remember what it was like post Wenger. However there is a certain younger, less stubborn manager in Guardiola available to push us over the line that Wenger will never be able to do again. Thumb me down if you like, but at the end of the season… Read more »
Welllll………..we did! (thumb you down) …..case closed
How can you remember what it was like post-Wenger? What is this – Back To The Future?
Boy, these reactions to a perfectly good signing typify the whiny self-entitled Arsenal fan of today. FFS, it’s a signing! We haven’t lost the league, we didn’t raise ticket prices, or whatever. Can’t good news be just that: good news? Why must we look for the negative in everything?
We need a player to come in and make an immediate impact. Neither of those players did they both took time
It’s impossible to guarantee any player will make an immediate impact (unless you mean you want him to get a red card). Only 1 in 4 transfers is deemed a success in their first season (half season in this case). Purchase price doesn’t change that. I hope whoever we get does hit the ground running but if they do, It’ll be pure luck.
Alexis pretty much did. Ozil took a bit longer, but we, as fans thought he was actually playing better than most pundits and newspapers did.
If the player has Pl experience then all the more likely they are to hit the ground running. Buying an unknown quantity is a bigger gamble esp when they play in a lesser league
Imagine the huge impact Torres had on Chelsea for £50 mil. would you take that?
I just want a hungrier attitude from the current team next games and more concentration. If Elneny signs I’m sure he’ll come good whenever he gets his chance, Egyptians are pacy and handsome 🙂
Chuffy, Yes Alexis was the 1 in 4. Ozil was good (not great) but very inconsistent. Look around the premiership summer buys. It doesn’t seem to make much difference if the price was big or small. Plenty of expensive ones are really erratic, look at Pedro or all the Manchester new boys ($iteh or un-knitted). Sterling looks the most consistent, and he’s had some real quiet games…
I’d guess 2 in 4 come good for the next season and 1 in four never comes good, but Please check and give us your considered results.
There is never a guarantee that a player will come in and improve the team, even if we signed Messi or Ronaldo, but a world class signing significantly increases the chances of improving the team. We would never get anywhere in life without taking a chance. A world class player is a calculated risk. Having a degree doesn’t guarantee me a job but I have more of a chance than someone who doesn’t have a degree
Dan, yes but my point is that transfers are most effective for the next season, rather than for the rest of this season , In most cases….
We need a big name like that Polish lad at Sevilla (please insert big name).
the name is Krychowiak, and to be honest I am not to sure that this is the name we want (I am Polish, I see a lot of him).
This Danilo Pereira guy is seriously the answer for our proble, I do pray that, we go Elneny now, and Perieira in the summer it would be oh so awesome!
I know the guys name fella. Just making the point that ‘we need a big name’ then reference a player not the big name. No swipe at the player.
Wanyama is not technically good and cannot pass the ball the Arsenal way. I’m not sure he can even pass a roll up to save his life. This Eleny guy given the price tag and age could turn out to be a Mahrez let’s go for it.
Wanyama is a Stoke player in Soton clothes. He thought any red and white striped team play rainy Sunday drunken bully-ball. My dick has more technique. (But that’s probably because it’s got it’s own balls.)
Signed him on FM14. Promising anchorman who can rummage up the pitch and pass the ball around, in addition to being sound defensively. Got decent pace as well, so not unlike Coq in that respect.
Omg cannot frigging wait now!
Praise be.
FM14!!! My god, he’s even more reliable than my scout, Yo Utube!
If true, this is a signing made out of necessity who might turn out to be a good investment. Unfortunately he won’t help us during the festive period.
Well, I’m not going to pretend I don’t know the guy, since we used to go to kindergarten together and our fathers are best friends . I remember we would play football all day except for poor Mohamed. Every now and then he would pull a hammy or brake his fibula, he even torn his Acl right before an afternoon nap while kicking a diet coke can. So I was always somehow suspicious how is he not playing for Arsenal .Souch a talent, but his Instagran needs some polish, and some better hashtags.
Is that you Petey?
It’s funny how much the ScoutNation video for Coquelin from a few months ago reminds me of what Arsenal exactly need as a DM. He really fits the role so well, like few do: De Rossi, Bastian from 3 years ago, Matic in the last coupla seasons for Chelsea, Busquets. A real defensive pivot.
Might be good to include a haircut during the medical
Let’s just get him through the medical injury free. The hair can wait for a short while…
After the medical comes the Artetical. He’ll sort him out!
He can be our el-Neny phenomenon wreak havoc or simple do nothing.
I’ll welcome his signing, anything to bolster our injury plagued squad.
He reminds me of a diaby style player
Go ahead and get us Krychowiak and be done with it. Proven quality and physique in a crucial position.
This is exactly the type of signing we would have expected from Wenger in January, a younger, inexpensive player that “may” (though of course nobody will know for sure how one can adapt to the PL until they get here) be able to provide cover until Coquelin returns and then be content with a sub role while waiting his turn (like Gabriel, Monreal, etc.). He looks good in the video clips, but of course most professional players will look good in highlight reels, the true test is to watch them in matches live against top competition to see all of… Read more »
On the bright side, I think we can all agree on what his song ought to be. Or what moronic fans will dance to when he scores…
I spent some time watching some of his highlights and I was impressed but not too impressed. We need a player that stops our opponents from building in the midfield and I don’t see him as that. I think Wanyama would be such a good signing, he might not be as technically gifted as wenger wants but I love how he dominates the game physically which is precisely what we need. We have too many softies in midfield plus he has really decent premier league experience already. If we want the league and we want to defeat Barcelona he has… Read more »
For me, wanyama is just not an arsenal type player. ……….he is just too wanyamaish? (can’t put my finger on whats missing..mebbe the ‘arsenal swag’ is just not there?).
I got my whip, we got elneny?
KingFut.
Heh. I get it.
I wonder if his cup tied..
His cup tied what? His laces? His tongue? His?!…
Put me out of my misery, the suspense.
Would prefer the Polish guy from Sevilla. He has good experience and clearly proven in his position.
Go for it.
and 33milion pounds release clause which is absurd highked up price, he is 15 to 17mil pounds player
Doesn’t matter what he would cost since we hardly spent any money at all last summer. There should be plenty of money to use in the bank unless that greedy american bastard have taken it all out of the club. Wenger is shopping in poundland again and either it’s got to do with the man’s stubbornness or it got to do with the board and the amount of money he’s got available to spend.
Salesmen must love you.
Salesman; This one is the best value for money and fits your system perfectly.
kaoz; I don’t cane if it’s good or not, I’ll have the most expensive one please. I’m happy to pay though the nose for something I know less about than you do……
We’ll see if this even happens but even if it does, it’s hardly going to be a Reyes January deal which helped push us over the line.
Due to this horrendous injury curse, we’ll need much more than him. Striker anyone?
Title? Its not April fools day already?
I would think this would be a 1 poo, but then again I am not the one taking a dump on it.
Can we stop talking about Wanyama? Even though his team thrashed us, he’s not good enough for Arsenal. But then again, chances are neither is this Elneny guy. I really hope this is all false and we scoop up a Lars Bender or somebody.
Well, he’s a new signing. I’d take it! He sure looks like a player who can add some bite to our midfield. I’m just scared this rumour may not become a transfer!
Actually I think another Ramsey-type player is exactly what we need in central midfield. Ramsey isn’t supposed to a wild, roaming midfielder with license to do whatever he wants – in short he isn’t supposed to be Rambo of the pitch, he’s supposed to be Rambo of central midfield – something that involves putting a shift in, supporting both the attack and defence, but most importantly, picking his moments to get forward. Rambo has begun to believe he is Rambo of the movies and has thus stunted his own performances, and if I’m being honest, his discipline in that central… Read more »
I agree. Ramsey was not discipline enough last game and you cannot do that with Flamini holding. It affected the equilibrium. Having said that, the entire team was flat not just the midfield duo. This signing we need must add something going forward and be able to cover DM (as back up) We do not need a DM specific player. This Eleneny player is exactly the sort of thing that gets everyone over excited. Remember, you are watching the Swiss league. Basel did not even make the CL. It sounds like a massive risk. I don’t think he looks better… Read more »
The clip I saw on the always ‘reliable’ Yo Utube…he missed a tackle, did a hand ball in the box and made a Fellaini-esque dive in the box in addition to some accurate passes.
Most of the clips were from the Swiss league. Hard to tell if he will look quite as good against better opposition.
😉
That dive was horrific.
We need to bring in someone who can both cover DM and provide something going forward.
Flamini and Ramsey can hold for us. But there is a need for variation in the middle and someone like Santi who can hold the ball.
We need someone with very good skills on the ball.
Diaby would have been perfect had he been able to stay fit. Alas.
Also I think we’re missing that the year Rambo had his breakthrough season, he also had one of the highest tackle rates in the league (I don’t have the information to hand, sorry) so that means he CAN be that player, but he is at the moment CHOOSING not to be.
I always knew I hated football. But after Saturday I’m definitely certain that I despise it.
Looks like this is happening. He’s not all that big, but neither is Coquelin. I don’t recall seeing him play. He’ll likely be off every second year during January/February. Here’s hoping.