OPINION
Enough has been said by now about how West Ham United need additional central midfield help in January, but the fact is that the club’s need for reinforcements in that area of the pitch remains desperate.
Step forward, then, Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny. The Sun reported on Monday that Gunners boss Unai Emery was looking to offload the Egyptian for £15million in January.
The 26-year-old powerhouse could be the perfect tonic for what ails the Hammers. He would immediately shore up the team’s midfield, while providing a level of defensive nous and smart passing which is absent at the London Stadium aside from youngster Declan Rice.
Elneny’s signing would enable manager Manuel Pellegrini to play with two solid holding midfielders against the big boys, while providing him with a true defensive midfielder should Rice need to step back into the back four at any point.
Elneny brings a winning mentality, too, both from his time at Arsenal and at Basel before that. He knows what it takes to win and would be another positive step towards a trophy-chasing mindset in East London.
Mark Noble isn’t going to be around forever, while it’s unlikely that Pedro Obiang and Carlos Sanchez will be long term fixtures in the West Ham midfield.
Jack Wilshere, too, is a constant injury risk, meaning that the club needs to bring in a new central midfielder to provide stability in the middle of the park.
Elneny could be just the man. Under Arsene Wenger he showed that he was capable of providing a solid barrier in front of the defence, while his marauding runs forward were always easy on the eye.
The Sun’s report claims that Leicester City are interest in the player, but the Hammers shouldn’t let a mid-table rival get the jump on them for the talented Egyptian.
You get the sense that Elneny just needs the right next club for him to fulfil his potential, and West Ham could be the perfect landing spot for him.
