Arsenal confident of double transfer u-turn

Arsenal are 90 minutes away from ending a five-year spell without Champions League football after a nervy 2-1 victory over Leeds on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s side have got themselves into contention for a top four finish off the back of four straight Premier League wins, a spell that started at Stamford Bridge and has seen them beat Manchester United, West Ham and Leeds since.

Knowing victory over Tottenham in the north London derby would give them an insurmountable lead over their bitter rivals in the chase, immense credit has to go to those who’ve helped Arsenal into a position where this is even a possibility.

When Alexandre Lacazette tested positive for Covid after the defeat to Brighton, Eddie Nketiah was brought into the starting lineup against Southampton. He didn’t score on the day, with a wasteful Arsenal going on to lose the game, but he offered a different and refreshing threat.

Arsenal confident of double transfer u-turn for Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny ahead of summer window

Those very qualities were on show a few days later against Chelsea, with Nketiah bagging himself a pair of goals that it’s fair to say Lacazette wouldn’t have chipped in with.

In the following game against Manchester United he played arguably his best game of the lot, then against West Ham was a really positive influence on the side, and his performance deserved a goal. Now, after Leeds, he’s got another pair of strikes and playing the best football of his career.

What was that about a contract?

As per football.london, Arsenal remain ‘optimistic’ that Nketiah will sign a new deal at the club despite having rejected several offers up until this point.

It isn’t known where the breakthrough may or may not have come, but if Arsenal are growing in confidence then there can only be some greater reassurances handed to Nketiah that the minutes are his to lose. Because, even if he does stay, Arsenal still need another top quality striker to come in and help them compete in European competitions.

However, the form the 22-year-old is in can’t be missed. He’s already scored more open play goals this season than Lacazette and Aubameyang had combined at Arsenal. Even his biggest supporters will have been taken aback by his improvement.

There is a lot of uncertainty around how the club have seemingly convinced him, especially when the focus right now should be on everything other than contracts, but it would appear that he’s taken his chance and possibly convince Arsenal to up the stakes.

Nketiah is not the only u-turn on the horizon, though.

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Mohamed Elneny to Sign New Arsenal Contract

It is not an understatement that Mohamed Elneny, yes, Mohamed Elneny, has changed the course of Arsenal’s season. Should the team secure Champions League football then he will have to be remembered as one of the cornerstones of them achieving it.

Starting just one Premier League game all season, the 29-year-old was brought into the side in a daunting away trip to Chelsea and produced a man-of-the-match performance. His level has not dropped in the three games since then, culminating in another outstanding display of tranquility, progression, stability and security in the victory over Leeds.

With a contract that is due to expire in the summer, David Ornstein of The Athletic reports talks have begun over Elneny (although no sign of a new deal for Nketiah, interestingly) and the club is hopeful an agreement can be found to extend his stay.

Nobody can say he hasn’t deserved it.

Negotiations are only at an early stage – which is understandable given where the focus is – but Arsenal are ‘determined’ to keep hold of him.

Having gigantic Thomas Partey-shaped shoes to fill, Elneny’s professionalism and calmness have been integral to the Gunners seeing games out across this winning run, and while there is no mention of the length of his deal, keeping him on board to remain a squad rotation option for another 12 months is far from a disastrous decision.

Arsenal still want to sign a No. 8 – which it is once again mentioned that Youri Tielemans is top of the list – and if another injury crisis strikes there are far worse options to come in that Elneny. He is someone who is great around the club, content with being third of fourth choice, and is currently playing the best football of his career.

For minimal finance they can keep him on, develop Sambi for another year, and then reassess in the winter or summer following.

A team always needs ‘squad’ players, but few are ever happy playing that role. Elneny has said publicly he’ll stay, whatever the role.

"“I don’t think about leaving,” he told the Independent. “It’s my family for six years. I love this club. If I don’t play I keep going until I get my chance. If Arsenal say ‘we want you’ I don’t think about leaving. It’s my family for six years. I love this club.”"