Arsenal Welcoming Mohamed Elneny At The Perfect Time

Arsenal have finally completed the move that began over two weeks ago for Mohamed Elneny. This signing could not have been completed at a better time.

Arsenal has overcome the work permit and visa issues and is now the proud owner of a real defensive midfielder (via Arsenal.com). That’s right, that means that Arsene Wenger will not have to paper over the cracks with Mikel Arteta, Calum Chambers and Mathieu Flamini anymore, although the latter two were not awful.

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It may not be the big name, big cost signing that everyone always wants, but there are so many things that makes Elneny’s arrival time absolutely perfect. Not only that, but he brings over so many things that Arsenal is in dire need of.

For starters, and I may have mentioned this, but he is a defensive midfielder. That in and of itself is cause for a celebration. That means Arsenal now have a grand total of one defensive midfielder until Francis Coquelin comes back. Forgive my elation. What makes it even better is that this means that once Coquelin comes back, Arsenal will have, you guessed it, two defensive midfielders. It’s a party.

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Elneny is bringing over a winners mentality. He has won the Swiss Super League three consecutive years – every single year he has been a member of FC Basel. It may only be the Swiss Super League, but when you win the league you’re a part of every single year, it sets the bar high and it will hopefully make him a tad inspired to never go a year without silverware.

As far as timing, there is no better time. Obviously we would have preferred to have him on the very minute the window opened, but this is Arsenal, nothing is ever easy. Instead, we are welcoming Elneny to the club right after a game that was completely devoid of a defensive midfield presence.

Arsenal’s slip-and-slide affair against Liverpool was characterized by three things – sloppiness, openness and goals. Despite Arsenal taking the lead, it was fairly obvious that they were never going to be able to park the bus. That became painfully obvious when Mikel Arteta was put in as our “defensive reinforcement” and proceeded to do nothing.

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We have to wonder what could have happened if Arsenal would have had Elneny instead of Arteta. Arsenal surrendered that last goal because they were outmuscled by Liverpool in the air. It just so happens that Elneny is strong, tall and an aerial threat. Hindsight is 20/20.

This game was also devoid of any person on the Arsenal side willing to hold onto the ball. It was like Black Friday for Liverpool, as they took everything they needed and reveled in the pre-holiday cheer. Arsenal didn’t want the ball and once they lost it, they couldn’t get it back.

Elneny would have aided in that department as well. Again, the Egyptian is a force on the ball, able to wield his size as a weapon to control the middle of the pitch.

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Perhaps Elneny would have won Arsenal the match at Anfield. We will never know. At least we do know that we will never wonder about this again, as Elneny is here and he is ready to win.