Arsenal: Mohamed Elneny Right There With Giroud, Ox

Arsenal has a great gob of talent and it is excluding such guys as Giroud and the Ox. But should Mohamed Elneny be included in that group?

Arsenal’s surplus of talent has a lot of people wondering what the prospects are with quite a handful of once-mainstay Gunners. Ian Wright has considered the possibility that Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may not have what it takes to cut into the starting XI.

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As I have said numerous times, Giroud makes sense. He’s 30. What else can the man do? Arsenal has seemingly moved on to a new system that is not conducive to his style of play.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may be a bit more controversial of an opinion, as he still has many years to give, but there are hints that he is stalling.

Then there is Mohamed Elneny. Wright did not include Elneny in his assessment of players that would struggle to gain inclusion in the starting XI, but I think he stands right there with Giroud and the Ox. When you look at his prospects, they are rather dim. Secondary competitions will always have room for him, just like Giroud and the Ox, but in terms of Premier League playing time? That is a hot commodity.

Elneny seemed to establish a good grip on the role when he was first acquired in January of last season and it looked like Wenger had found himself another slick signing. There was no flash or bang accompanying the purchase, as Elneny is a fairly straightforward player, but there was room to grow and, with Cazorla out, he had only Flamini to beat for the role.

Then, in the summer, Granit Xhaka was purchased, and just like that, Elneny’s spot in the pecking order was thrown into jeopardy. Not to mention the fact that Cazorla was coming back and Francis Coquelin was as vital as always.

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This year has demonstrated the position that Elneny is in. Coqzorla has been dominating proceedings, but when Coquelin went down, it was Xhaka that stepped in, among all the calls for him to start anyway.

Which again left Elneny waiting. Just like the Ox.

Looking forward, we have to imagine that Santi Cazorla’s time is coming to an end within the next couple years, but that doesn’t account for the return of Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin from injury as well as the continued stay of Xhaka.

Factor in the possible returns of Jon Toral and Jack Wilshere and Elneny still only strikes me as a utility player. In the grand scheme, even when Cazorla moves on, he would still have Xhaka, Coquelin and Ramsey ahead of him in the pecking order, with Wilshere snapping at his heels.

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I will say the same thing I have said about Giroud and the Ox – there will always be a use for him, but does he have positive Premier League playing prospects? Not necessarily. He can always improve, no doubt, but so too can the Ox.