In a time when the regular going rate for a top quality central midfielder is around £30 million, Arsenal have somehow hit the jackpot when they pried Mohamed Elneny from Basel for just £6 million.  When he arrived to north London in January, many Arsenal fans weren’t exactly thrilled to hear of the news.  Despite a majority of the fanbase asking for a high-priced superstar to man their midfield, Elneny has been nothing short of outstanding during his first eight months in England.

Although featuring in just 11 Premier League matches during the tail end of the 2015/16 campaign, the Egypt international boasted a successful pass percentage of 93%.  The passing statistic is even more impressive taking into account that he averaged 77 successful passes per game (would be tops in the Premier League according to squawka.com).  Not only is Elneny’s passing game spectacular, but the recently turned 24-year-old has also brought attributes to the table in midfield that the Gunners had been lacking for quite some time.

Along with his quality vision, Elneny possesses a combination of defensive skills as a tough-tackler, but is also neat on the ball going forward.  While not exactly flashy, Elneny just gets the job done.  Francis Coquelin has been utilized as the club’s usual defensive midfielder over the last two and a half seasons, and played the part well; however, Elneny is not quite as reckless as the Frenchman and is certainly better on the ball as well.

Elneny’s first campaign in red and white was highlighted with his incredible curled effort on goal from just outside of the box during the club’s March matchup with Barcelona.  The goal even topped the Arsenal Goal of the Season poll voted on by the fans.  To add to his stunning strike, the Egyptian was also voted as the club’s Player of the Month for both March and April as well.  In the end, Elneny scored a goal and added an assist in 16 total matches played during the 2015/16 season with the Gunners.

With the summer addition of the £35 million Granit Xhaka, Elneny’s playing time could be reduced a tad from his freshman campaign with Arsenal.  Though his versatility to play either defensive midfielder or in a more advanced central midfield role will certainly help his cause, Elneny will now have to fight for a starting place with Coquelin, Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, and Jack Wilshere.

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Nevertheless, Elneny adds quality depth to the middle of the pitch, something that the Gunners have struggled with in the past.  The midfielder may not be selected in the starting XI for everything league match for the upcoming season, but he could very well become a vital player in the middle of the pitch for Arsenal if he continues to develop.  Adding Mesut Özil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Alex Iwobi to the aforementioned sextet, and the Gunners now possess one of the top overall midfields in the Premier League.