Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Fabian Schar and Mohamed Elneny

Mohamed Elneny has revealed that his £5 million January move to Arsenal from Basel came as a result of the Gunners scouting his former team-mate, Fabian Schar.

The 24-year-old Egypt international is now a key part of the Gunners' central midfield ranks but he reportedly may not have appeared on Arsenal's radar at all had it not been for their long-term interest in Swiss centre-back Schar.

Elneny revealed to DMC Sports that Shcar told his Basel team-mates his move to the Emirates Stadium was all but sealed but the move never happened, and it was the midfielder who eventually made the switch to north London, per Hamish Mackay in the Mirror:

"

I was very happy when I joined Arsenal but I asked one of my friends how the negotiations started and if they had scouted me before.

He told me that Arsenal officials were scouting Fabian Schar in the first place, and that's when they noticed me.

All of us at Basel knew that Schar was linked with Arsenal and at every season's end, we congratulated him as the move was close to completion, according to Schar himself. But afterwards, things changed quickly.

My agent told me that Arsenal officials came many times to watch Schar but they were impressed every time by my performances and development and they went on to sign me instead.

"

Schar eventually moved to Hoffenheim in the summer of 2015 but was mooted again as a potential Arsenal target back in July when they needed defensive reinforcements, per Oliver Yew and Charlotte Marsh of Sky Sports.

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Eventually it was not the 24-year-old Switzerland international who arrived to bolster Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's back line but Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia.

Elneny, though, is now firmly established in the Arsenal squad.

He is not a permanent fixture in the starting XI as he has to battle for his place with the likes of Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin.

But he has the attributes to be a huge asset at Arsenal in the long term, with his passing range particularly impressive, per WhoScored.com:

Given that Mustafi has fit in comfortably alongside Laurent Koscielny in Arsenal's back four and Elneny makes up part of the Gunners' strongest engine room in years, Wenger's side have arguably benefited more from adding the Egyptian to their ranks than Schar.

With 12 matches gone in the 2016-17 Premier League season Arsenal are firmly in the mix near the top of the table—they are just three points back from leaders Chelsea.

Elneny could prove vital over the congested and vital upcoming Christmas period and Arsenal are doubtless delighted they stumbled across him when scouting Schar.