Besiktas are claimed to be confident of striking a deal with Arsenal to bring in Mohamed Elneny today.
The Turkish Super Lig side are looking to rush through the deal in order to register him to play in the group stages of the Champions League, with the cut-off to register new players to the competition at midnight tonight.
NTV Sport(via the DailyStar) claims that they are confident that they can complete the deal before the deadline, with Elneny having enjoyed a loan spell with the club beforehand.
The size of the offer remains to be seen, but I find it strange that they would be confident in completing a deal when we are blocked from bringing in a replacement for Mo, with our transfer window having closed on Tuesday.
Albert Sambi Lokonga appears to have displaced the Egypt international as third-choice midfielder in the pecking order, but we have just four senior options for the role within the squad, and losing two or more at any point in the season is more than possible, with one of Emile Smith Rowe, Calum Chambers or the inexperienced Miguel Azeez likely to be the next most likely to play at CM.
Could Arsenal really be considering allowing Elneny to go? Can anyone else not mentioned fill in at CM?
Patrick
He gets a lot of flak but I’ve never heard a murmur of discontent from him. He recognises his more modest abilities and gives his best to the cause . In life, he can do no more
@SueP
Very well put Goonerette…👍🏿
He is what he is and that’s ok. Never seen him giving less than his all.
Cats cannot roar, Lions do!Another disaster signing by Wenger, over the years has always been a squad player. Even a young Sambi Albert has managed to displace him from the starting line up speaks volumes. Pity Mikel has to drive an engine with misfiring cylinders, cracked camshaft, blown up exhausts and a small miniscule section of fans want him to race with the Mercs and Red Bulls (let alone we are similar to the Has Ferrari) and others want him gone. Sad indeed!
You are on point Loose Cannon
I second that, SueP! 👍
Didn’t Calum Chambers excel at Defensive Midfield when he went on loan a few seasons ago?? Playing him there could help break the current logjam. Or perhaps AMN. We know that AMN is a resolute defender and has the quality to create which can be further developed. This situation almost looks like a plan coming together nicely.
Roger that!!!
Isn’t Miguel Azeez shipped out on loan to Pompey for this season???
Partey, Xhaka, ASL, AMN, Chambers and if needed Rolls Royce. That’s six players fighting for two places in our starting XI. Well covered.
Didn’t Arteta promise AMN that he could play in CM for Arsenal this season.
Maybe that promise is what might allow Elneny to leave.
I quite like Elneny’s energy in midfield, but I think a move would suit him.
A sale might be needed to help balance the books, or hopefully, it might be put towards buying a more experienced CM in the January window.
I guess we will know more soon
I sell elneny in a blink. We have replacement already in the team and the midfield needs freeing up space for future additions and after him xhaka should also be put up for transfer by January. Can’t wait to see him leave arsenal.
We can then go for bisouma in Jan or end of season.
AMN needs to play the DM role and I love his energy and speed. I don’t mind playing him with partey or lokonga in a double midfield pivot. And we have chambers/ white who can both deputies in that DM role for the team.
there’s no way he will be leaving unless Arteta is planning to change his base formation or he’s contemplating the notion of using AMN, Chambers or White in the DM role, on occasion…I guess he could likewise shoehorn ESR into a more deeper-lying centralized role, so that he could provide more opportunities for those who make far more sense out wide left…I have a feeling that shoehorning might be a common theme again this year, due to his Wengeresque tactical stubbornness and the positional depth of our current roster in a few areas
If Arsenal were on the verge of selling Elneny, they would not have played him in a friendly in which he was injured. BS clickbait rumor fabricated by people sad the window closed and they have nothing to generate clicks.
He’s an excellent passer and defensive mid, but, like Xhaka, plays the stats game with too much safe passing and not enough forward momentum. Appeals to managers fooled by over stats analysis.
His best pass is a back pass …..we need creativity to move team forward