Mohamed Elneny to Arsenal: Visa entry the final hurdle as deal draws closer

Arsenal bound: But the Gunners still await final confirmation on the new signing
Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images
James Benge12 January 2016

Mohamed Elneny has been on the verge of signing for Arsenal for the past week but whilst the deal remains highly active the club have missed Arsene Wenger’s target for signing the Basel midfielder.

Speaking after Saturday’s 3-1 FA Cup victory over Sunderland the manager confirmed that he would look to complete a signing “in the next 24 to 48 hours” but that deadline has come and gone with no confirmation of the move.

Wenger further confirmed that he only expects to sign one player during the transfer window, though he expects other clubs’ business to make this one of the most active January’s in history.

Elneny has already completed his medical ahead of a £7 million move to London so what is delaying the club’s announcement of the deal?

Whilst Standard Sport confirmed last week that the 23-year-old passes the criteria for receiving a work permit the midfielder still needs to obtain a UK visa.

The decision on a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa can take up to three weeks and, whilst the club do not expect the process to take that long, it has held up a deal that the club hoped to complete last week.

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It remains likely, though, that Elneny will be confirmed as an Arsenal player this week, though Wenger may well choose to delay his debut until the FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Burnley with league fixtures against Stoke and Chelsea representing baptisms of fire for the new signing.

“I expect movement this week,” Wenger said on Monday. “We are positive this week that it can happen.

“The situation should be sorted out this week as there are a lot of work permit problems as well and special paperwork to do such as his visa.”

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