Deal done – Wenger signs midfielder for £7m, medical completed tomorrow, contract will be signed on Wednesday

Arsenal’s injury woes continue as Jack Wilshere’s return from injury prolongs till February. Arsene Wenger was questioned regarding Wilshere absence, who has been side-lined since September. He was expected back December, but Gunners’ manager has now revealed that he might not return until February.

“I said February but honestly I don’t know”, Wenger said. “I let him do his recovery. It’s going slowly. Once he goes again, goes outside to train, once he is back again into sharp, hard work physically, you count five or six weeks, so at the moment he is not there yet. It’s not Jack’s fault we lost at Southampton and anyway he cannot play against Bournemouth. We have short-term worries and we want to respond.”

With no definite timeline on Wilshere’s return, Arsenal has been linked to FC Basel’s central midfielder, Mohamed Elneny. According to latest reports, player will complete his medical tomorrow in Paris and will sign a contract on Wednesday in Switzerland.

The Egypt International became a part of Basel’s squad in 2013 and has contributing to winning a title each of the three seasons. The midfielder is eligible to play in the Champions League as Basel failed to qualify for the group stages. This means if Arsenal does secure Elneny’s signature they will have the player available for all competitions.

According to the Daily Mirror, Arsenal is looking to sign the payer at a fee of £7m.  Playing a central role, Elneny, has the ability to both defend and move forward. He is keen on shooting from long range and also has the ability to anticipate forward runs. At Basel, he is also responsible to take set-pieces. In some bad news, it seems like this is the only January signing as Wenger is known for not taking risks.

Elneny has spoken about his future saying he wants to stay at Basel till the season end but on the other hand, as reported by Sky Sports, has started to learn English.

“The Premier League is a big dream for any player, and I hope to move there one day,” said Elneny in an interview with Cairo Post in April. “But I am entirely focused on finishing the season with Basel outstandingly, and then I will think about offers from any other clubs.”
Knowing Arsenal’s lack of consistency and Wenger might look outside the club to increase options for a team line-up to avoid exhausting current players and risking more injuries. Elneny seems like an appropriate answer to strengthen Arsenal’s midfield.