Wenger hopes to seal ‘complicated’ Elneny deal soon

(Reuters) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes to complete the signing of FC Basel midfielder Mohamed Elneny by early next week after reported work permit issues threatened to stall the transfer.

With midfielders Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin out with injury, Elneny would be a welcome addition to squad, which was stretched thin during the festive period.

“It’s complicated a little bit, but we are working hard on it and hope in the next two-three days we get to the end of it,” Wenger told reporters on Friday, ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup clash against Sunderland.

“I don’t rule out anybody else but he will be at least one of the signings that some into the area we are short at the moment.”

Wenger has also set his sights on lifting the FA Cup for a third straight season.

“The FA Cup an important competition as always. There is only one way to deal with the next game and that is to win it,” Wenger said.

“We want to win every competition we participate in and the FA Cup is one of those. Everybody dreams to win the FA Cup.

“There might be priorities at some stage in the season but we have a big squad and we are equipped to deal with all competitions.

“Being the holders – we won it twice in the last two years – and we want to do it again.”

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)