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Arsenal chiefs fly-out to complete first January signing

By mac14 on January 7, 2016

According to ESPN, Arsenal have sent a delegation out to Basel to wrap-up the £7m signing of midfielder Mohamed Elneny.

Elneny has been linked with a move to Arsenal in recent weeks with the Mirror reporting earlier this month that he had agreed personal terms on a contract worth £60,000-a-week and had passed his medical.

Basel confirmed on Tuesday that Elneny had been allowed to miss training in order to conclude a transfer away from the club after we had agreed a deal worth around £7m with the Swiss champions.

All that remains is for the Egyptian international to gain international clearance and be granted a work permit before his move to the Emirates can be completed, and ESPN claim that we’ve sent a delegation out to Basel in order to wrap things up.

So it looks as though we’re now on the verge of completing what would be our first signing of the winter window and Elneny’s arrival could be a vital one during the second half of the campaign.

Arsene Wenger has seen his midfield options decimated by injury in recent months so it’s imperative we bring another body in and Elneny certainly looks to be a real talent.

The 23-year-old has been hugely impressive for Basel both domestically and in Europe and he’s already established himself in the senior Egyptian national team.

I have a feeling he’ll be looked upon as Flamini’s long-term replacement and Arsene may well look to sign another central midfielder in the summer once Arteta moves in to a coaching role.

Let’s wait for the official confirmation on Elneny’s arrival but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s announced on Friday. We love a Friday transfer announcement….