Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Talks January Plans, Mohamed Elneny Signing

Arsenal fans may be disappointed to hear manager Arsene Wenger isn't inclined to build on the club's acquisition of Mohamed Elneny in January, preferring to rely on his injured stars returning to fitness.  

Former Basel midfielder Elneny completed his move to the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, but when asked if more recruits would follow, Wenger suggested his business may be done already, per ESPN FC's Miguel Delaney:

Elneny is the first outfield player the Gunners have signed since January 2015, with Wenger having opted to bring in Petr Cech as the club's only major transfer of the last summer window.

Per the Daily Mirror's Hamish Mackay, Wenger opened up on his future plans for Elneny, who is expected to provide cover for injured engine-room stars Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla: "I bought Elneny because he can play with a defensive player or be the defensive player. I need to know more about him to see whether he becomes a defensive or box-to-box player."

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Coquelin, in particular, played a pivotal role in Wenger's XI prior to being ruled out until at least February with a knee injury, providing a foil in defensive midfield that no other figure in the squad has been able to replicate.

This lack of another totem in defensive midfield led Wenger to finally invest in first-team additions, but Elneny's versatility means he may yet inject his own share of pace to the Arsenal attack.

The Egypt international will be a welcome purchase in the long run. As pointed out by Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph, midfield veterans Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky are all poised to leave the club when their contracts expire this summer.

Elneny's reputation at Basel, where he won three successive Swiss Super League titles, painted him as an anchoring specialist, but The Secret Footballer highlighted his attacking potential from long range:

The Gunners are engaged in a heated battle for Premier League dominance as things stand, and Wenger's side travel to Stoke City on Sunday, sitting atop the table, level on points with Leicester City.

Manchester City slipped off the pace after a stalemate at Everton on Wednesday, but Arsenal failed to pull clear following a 3-3 draw at Anfield, where they led until Joe Allen bagged a late equaliser for Liverpool.

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Investing in the squad now could prove a worthy expenditure for the north Londoners, who have an ideal opportunity to claim their first Premier League title since 2004—as long as their depth proves sufficient.

Failing to do so could leave Gunners fans devastated by a familiar fall from grace toward the end of the campaign, but Wenger appears confident he already boasts the necessary resources to triumph.