So as the clock ticks down and Arsene Wenger sits twiddling his thumbs (sorry, working hard on transfer deals I mean) in his office, it looks almost certain that the transfer of the Egypt international midfielder Mohamed Elneny will be our one and only signing of the winter window.
However much we Arsenal fans might have wanted the manager to spend a bit more money or how much we thought the squad needed a boost in certain areas, we can only hope that Arsene knows best. The next few months will tell us that and if the Gunners end up champions then we will have nothing to moan about.
Even Wenger felt that we needed help in the centre of midfield, though, and a report in The Sun last week he explained why he thought the signing of Elneny was the right move for Arsenal. The prof had identified exactly the sort of player he needed and Elneny fit the bill. But the fact that no other clubs were after him makes me wonder if we really have got the right man.
Wenger said, “Let’s see how well he adapts to English football before we see if we have got him for a cheap price.
“Maybe there wasn’t a lot of competition because we were the only interested club in signing him.
“Not too many people spoke about him and he was basically not much on the radar.
“I think we were right about him, but now he has to show that he can do it
“It’s a big step for him to come from Switzerland to go to the Premier League but I think it is the right time for him.
“Physically, he is not a monster. Usually middle eastern people are big on stamina, mobility and agility but sometimes lack a bit of power.
“He is not a powerhouse, but winning the ball is not only down to strength.
It’s also about technique and switching on at the right moment.
“You have players who are really muscular who lose fights against very slim players because small guys get their timing right.
“It’s a real technique to switch your muscle on when the opponent is in a weak position.
“I remember Jean Tigana only weighed 63 kilograms yet he was unbelievable as a defensive midfielder.
“Elneny is a natural box-to-box player but he is more defensive-minded than most who play that role, so he can also play in a holding position.
“He is a little bit between Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey. He can win the ball and effect quick transition and he is defensive-minded in his transitioning.”
Wenger said all this before Elneny made his debut against Burnley on Saturday and he had a similar sort of opinion after the match, pointing out the need for the new player to adapt to the power of English football but also saying that he was impressed with a lot of what the Egyptian did.
And the stats showed that Elneny was heavily involved, with more touches than any other player, so do you think Wenger has got this one Arsenal transfer right? And will it be enough?