Mohamed Elneny started just five Premier League games for Unai Emery’s Arsenal last season – could he be tempted to join West Ham United?
West Ham United are interested in signing Mohamed Elneny from Premier League rivals Arsenal, according to Ahly News, and could pay £9 million for the midfielder.
The Hammers have recruited very intelligently in the last two summers and, with Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals set to provide goals and creativity aplenty, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Manuel Pellegrini’s side could challenge for a place in the top six next season.
And should Elneny arrive too, he’d provide plenty of control and energy in a rather lightweight midfield.
Carlos Sanchez and Jack Wilshere, perhaps predictably, struggled badly with injuries during the 2018/19 campaign while Pedro Obiang is closing in on a return to Italy with Sassuolo, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.
So Elneny, a four-time league champion with Basel who has earned 67 caps for the Egyptian national team, would certainly fill a gap in West Ham’s squad, even if his arrival would be overshadowed by that of Haller and Fornals.
Ahly claims that Arsenal would be tempted to cash in on a player who made just five Premier League starts during Unai Emery’s debut season at The Emirates. Their priority, however, is to use Elneny as a makeweight in a deal that would see Wilfried Zaha arrive in North London from Crystal Palace.
But West Ham need a midfielder of Elneny’s qualities far more than a Palace side who are not short of options in the centre of the park.
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