Mohamed Elneny from Basel on Thursday.
Elneny, 23, becomes Arsenal's first signing of the
January transfer window and adds to Arsene
Wenger's options in defensive midfield in the
absence of the injured Francis Coquelin.
Arsenal said on their official website that the deal
is still "subject to the completion of regulatory
processes" but that "everyone at Arsenal would
like to welcome Mohamed to the club."
It's official! @ElNennyM has joined @Arsenal
https://t.co/EXB8o9Fbu6 #ElnenySigns
pic.twitter.com/DWHoBL7DtB
-
Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) January 14, 2016
Arsene Wenger had told reporters after
Wednesday's 3-3 draw with Liverpool that the
deal had been completed and he hoped he would
be available for Sunday's game against Stoke.
The transfer had been held up by paperwork as
Elneny needed to have a work permit approved,
though sources told ESPN FC that Elneny was in
London on Wednesday to complete the £7 million
transfer.
After Arsenal announced the move on Thursday,
Wenger said it was Elneny's versatility in midfield
that made him sign the Egyptian.
"Overall I believe he will be a good addition to the
squad for many reasons," Wenger told Arsenal's
official website. "He is a player who is adaptable in
midfield.
He can be box-to-box player but he can
as well be a holding player so that is for us very
interesting. We wanted a versatile player and I
wanted a player who can play purely defensively
but can also play box-to-box."
Wenger said he started the process of signing
Elneny in December after seeing Coquelin sustain
a long-term knee injury, but that the club has
monitored the Egyptian for more than a year.
"We have looked at him in many games, and we
feel that every year he has improved," Wenger
said. "His strengths are his technical level, his
vision, his intelligence, his disciplined attitude and
his physical aptitude to compete at a high level. I
think he has the physical qualities to play at the
top level.
"Where he needs to adapt is to the challenges,
the force needed in the Premier League to
survive. I think that could demand a little bit of
adaptation. But overall I think he has all the
attributes to do well."
Elneny, who has 39 caps for Egypt, joined Basel
in 2013 and helped the team win three straight
Swiss league titles, while producing a number of
impressive displays in the Champions League and
Europa League along the way.
He was still relatively unknown before Arsenal's
interest was made public, and said he knows he
will have to work hard to win over supporters at
the Emirates.
"I would like to tell [the fans] that, although you
have not seen much of me, I promise I will
contribute positively with the team," Elneny said.
"I am hoping that we win the Premier League and
cup this season, and the Champions League as
well."
The midfielder told Basel's official website it was a
"big dream" to join Arsenal and added: "Many
think that because I join Arsenal I will not play like
at FC Basel, but I want to prove the whole world
wrong. It's a big step for me and a fantastic
dream comes true.
"I am a little bit sad, but also happy. Sad because
I owe a lot to FC Basel -- I will miss everything.
I
am happy because it's the biggest step for me to
a big club."
Thanks Allah for everything @arsenal ✌️ https://
t.co/GEdPAySv8a
- Mohamed ELNeny (@ElNennyM) January 14,
2016
He also spoke of his excitement at the prospect of
facing Barcelona in the upcoming Champions
League round-of-16 clash, saying: "This will be a
huge match, and I hope I can play in it."
While not as physically imposing as some of the
players Arsenal had also been linked with, such as
Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho and
Southampton's Victor Wanyama, Elneny is a
tireless runner and a capable passer who should
suit Wenger's style of play.
He is also known as a modest, hard-working
player and Wenger said those attributes will also
help him fit in at Arsenal.
"We have checked his attitude, he is a very
focused and motivated player. His attitude tells
me he can integrate to a group like our group
that demands a lot of dedication from each
other," Wenger said.
Elneny is Arsenal's first Egyptian player, but
Wenger said he believes signings from North
Africa will become more common in the Premier
League.
"They usually have good stamina, they are agile
and have a very good first touch and good
technique. The way football is developing in
England is toward a very technical ability, and
these players have what is needed to adapt,"
Wenger said.
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