Struggling Arsenal Star Attracting Interest From West Ham: Should Pellegrini Sign Him?

Manuel Pellegrini has been a busy man this summer. He is desperate to add quality to his squad and has been linked with a number of exciting names recently.

And Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny is the latest name on their radar, claim reports from Egyptian news outfit Ahly.

The Gunners had earlier offered Elneny as a part of the deal to try and land Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace, but the Hammers are ready to pay up to £10m for his services this summer.

But do West Ham really need him?

Elneny And His Arsenal Struggles

Having joined Arsenal in 2016, the 27-year-old made just five league starts last season and was an outsider in Emery’s first team. He has been a regular in the Europa League squad but at 27, will be desperate for a more defined role and the backing of his manager.

He has 67 caps for Egypt and is a mainstay in the national side. He also has 46 Premier League appearances but is yet to put in a match-winning performance for the London club.

Playing in a defensive midfield role, Elneny struggled to cover for his backline, was often found out in the middle of the park and was a liability for Emery in most of the crucial games last season but he was not helped by an equally calamitous defensive line.

So it is no surprise that Arsenal are ready to let him leave on the cheap, this summer.

Will He Make An Impact At West Ham?

Elneny’s career at Arsenal was not too promising but the former Basel star will be in his prime for the next two years at least and a change of scenery and the ability to play with a bit more freedom at West Ham might do him a lot of good.

The Hammers use Declan Rice and Mark Noble regularly in their defensive midfield roles but the latter is not getting any younger. Carlos Sanchez can play there while Jack Wilshere adds creativity to that midfield.

They are set to lose Pedro Obiang, who is a wanted man in Italy and Elneny may not be a bad option to replace the Guinean this summer.

Elneny can play in a two-man midfield alongside Rice or Noble when needed and can certainly help them in the cup competitions.

Though the Arsenal man has not been able to live up to the expectations yet in England, his role at West Ham may be more defined and could help him resurrect his career.

Pellegrini might be tempted to bring in a more established midfielder, who can walk into the first team, to replace Obiang, but at just £10m, Elneny, who has spent the last three years in England, is certainly a risk worth taking.