Arsenal added the deal was “subject to the completion of regulatory processes”, but hope Elneny could feature in the squad at Stoke on Sunday.
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Arsenal have completed the transfer of Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny from Basel, confirms Arsene Wenger, and the move will be announced later in the week on the Arsenal website.
Elneny won three league titles during his time in Switzerland, but admitted that moving to the Emirates was a huge step up. The 23-year-old Egyptian worldwide joins from Basel for a reported £7.4m. He has since become an important first-team member at the Swiss champion, earning a transfer to Arsenal with his fine performances for the St. Jakob-Park club. That was frustration for me, and the fact we conceded in the last minute.
“I am very keen to participate positively with my new team, God willing, indescribable feeling, I am really glad of course”, he told Arsenal Player.
“Mr. Wenger is a highly respected manager and one of the world’s best managers”, he said.
“We’ll see if he can qualify for Sunday”, Wenger said after the 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Anfield. In the 2015/16 season, he has already made 28 appearances in all competitions and has scored six goals, including two in the Europa League.
“When you look at the player and the number of goals he scores and the number of assists, on that front you must say he has been very positive and he works hard for the team”.
The latter seems the toughest target to achieve with Arsene Wenger’s side drawn against defending champions Barcelona, but that has not stopped Elneny setting his sights high.
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Arsenal will hope Elneny’s arrival can address the need for a holding midfielder after Coquelin sustained a knee injury in November. “It is true he had players in front of him and you think “can you block a player like that?’ He came back and I explained the situation to him”.
