Arsene Wenger’s previous praise of Mohamed Elneny now looking justified

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Plenty of Arsenal fans have been left pleasantly surprised by the form of Mohamed Elneny so far this season. 

The Egyptian was considered as good as gone by many Arsenal fans after his spell on loan at Besiktas but Mikel Arteta decided to give him a go and the midfield combatant has not let him down. 

Elneny has exhibited some excellent form this season and his efforts in the final minutes against Manchester United at the weekend became something of a viral hit. 

But whilst much of the Gunners fanbase might be surprised by Elneny’s form, one man who is likely less surprised will be Arsene Wenger. 

The Arsenal legend brought Elneny to the club from FC Basel back in January 2016 in a deal reported by the BBC to be worth around £5 million. 

When Unai Emery discarded the defensive midfielder, Wenger spoke out in support of the 28-year-old, suggesting he would be a hit in Turkish football. 

“Elneny is a very strong and active player,” Wenger told beIN Sports. “He’s a player with a modern style of play and that always gives his best for his team. Elneny is a very tactically-useful player.

“He is very active inside the pitch and what strikes me the most is how he protects his team.

“His input within the team is great, not in terms of goal creation because he’s not the type to have the final touch before the goal. But because of how helpful he is in the build-up. Elneny’s style of play adds protection to the team.”

Now there is very little doubt about Elneny’s effectiveness when given some trust and a specific role to play. 

The Daily Mail is reporting that a new contract might now be on the table for the battler. His current deal expires at the end of the season and Arsenal are ready to offer him a new deal. 

It might end up surprising a lot of people, but Wenger seemed to always have faith in his signing’s ability to thrive at The Emirates.