Arsenal
Leicester signing this on-loan Arsenal outcast would add some much-needed depth in a key area
Why Arsenal’s Elneny would be a great addition for Leicester City
According to Turkish outlet Sozcu via Sport Witness (h/t Football London), Leicester City are eyeing a move for Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny.
The Foxes, who intend to sign Elneny at the end of this season, meanwhile, face stiff competition from Valencia and Besiktas, where the defensive midfielder is currently on a season-long loan from Arsenal.
The 27-year-old, who fell out of favour with former Arsenal boss Unai Emery has been impressive since making his switch to the Turkish side. He has featured in 13 games so far for the Black Eagles.
Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester, on the other hand, are on cloud nine as they sit comfortably at second place in the Premier League table, with 12 wins from 16 games.
Leicester have looked excellent under Rodgers this season, with the team clicking in all departments. One of the key players for Rodgers this season has been defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
The Nigerian has made 69 successful tackles this season already, which is the second-best tally in the league only behind teammate Ricardo Pereira. His commanding presence in the middle has been a major reason for Rodgers’ side conceding just 9 goals this season.
The Foxes currently have the best defensive record in the league and the Irish coach owes it all to Ndidi, who has acted as a shield in front of the Leicester back-four, cutting down opposition attacks with ease.
His performances in the middle have been so dominating that other holding midfielders such as Hamza Choudhury, Nampalys Mendy, and Daniel Amartey have found it tough to make it to the first-team.
Rodgers’ second choice in the deep-lying midfield role – Choudhury is still young and has not yet reached the standards of his teammate Ndidi.
Mendy and Amartey, on the other hand, have been on the fringes for a long time and continue to be overlooked by Rodgers, who clearly does not seem to prefer the duo. Taking this into consideration, Leicester targeting a seasoned campaigner like Elneny comes as no big surprise.
Elneny, who was signed by former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger in 2016 from Swiss outfit FC Basel in 2016, has tons of experience under his belt.
The Egyptian has played a total of 89 matches for the North London club but was never a regular starter there due to immense competition in the midfield.
However, he has been a regular for his national side since making his debut in 2011 and has gone on to play 77 matches for them, scoring 6 times.
Having vied for a spot which included the likes of Mesut Ozil, Granit Xhaka and many other high-profile names, nobody knows it better than Elneny to compete at the highest level.
Read more:
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- Why Robin Koch to Leicester City would be a healthy move
Verdict
Bringing in the experienced Elneny would offer healthy competition for Ndidi, who at the moment, seems to have cemented the spot for himself in the Foxes starting line-up.
Moreover, Elneny would offer the Leicester boss with more options in the middle if at all such a situation arises in the future.
Arsenal Women host Manchester United on Saturday in a crucial six pointer for Champions League qualification. The Gunners sit just one point above United in the WSL table and victory at Emirates Stadium would give them a strong buffer, while defeat leaves them playing catch up in the race for Europe.
The match marks Arsenal’s return from the winter break following a busy week that saw Renee Slegers sign a new contract and Jodie Taylor promoted to Technical Director. However, the immediate focus is on securing three points against Marc Skinner’s side in what promises to be a tense encounter.
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT, Saturday, January 11, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports (UK)
Cooney Cross Absent For Personal Reasons
Arsenal will be without Kyra Cooney Cross who has returned to Australia for personal reasons. Daphne van Domselaar is not quite ready to return from a quad injury while Chloe Kelly remains out with a knee problem. Jenna Nighswonger will not be in the matchday squad as she negotiates a loan move.
New signing Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby will be in the squad alongside recalled goalkeeper Naomi Williams. Manu Zinsberger and Katie Reid are out with ACL injuries. The absence of Cooney Cross means Mariona will likely drop into the deeper midfield role she has occupied for much of the last year.
United Strengthened in January
Manchester United have been busy in the transfer window, adding full back Hanna Lundkvist from San Diego Wave and centre forward Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Skinner was dealt a poor hand over the summer with a very small squad handling Champions League qualifiers and the group phase.
Predicted Lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Borbe; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Mead, Russo, Smith
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Malard, Awujo; Schuller
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that Jodie Taylor has been appointed as the club’s first ever Technical Director.
The 39-year-old former England striker moves up from her existing role as Technical Services Manager, a position she has held since September 2023 following her retirement from professional football.
Taylor’s promotion comes on the same day Arsenal announced Renee Slegers’ new contract extension through 2029, creating a strategic restructuring of the women’s football department.
A Decade Long Arsenal Connection
Taylor’s relationship with Arsenal spans ten years since first joining as a player in 2016. She scored 10 goals in 17 appearances during her initial spell before returning on a short-term deal in March 2023. Taylor earned 50 plus England caps during her international career and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2017.
She represented her country at the 2015 Women’s World Cup finishing third and played for multiple elite clubs including Lyon, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave throughout her career.
Strategic Structural Development
Taylor’s new role bridges critical areas of football operations including recruitment, analysis, coaching and performance support. She will work closely with Renee Slegers on a daily basis as the Technical Director, providing structural support for coaching decisions and squad development.
Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley praised Taylor’s appointment as integral to continued development of the program as Arsenal challenges for major trophies consistently. Wheatley will now focus on upward management across UEFA, FIFA and domestic boards while Taylor handles day to day operations.
Building a High Performance Environment
Taylor expressed immense pride stepping into her new position, emphasizing Arsenal’s remarkable growth over the past decade. She committed to nurturing a high-performance environment where players, coaching staff and support teams have the right tools to deliver at the highest level.
Her appointment represents investment in female leadership within Arsenal’s technical infrastructure, aligning with the club’s commitment to developing their women’s program systematically and strategically moving forward into their next phase.
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that head coach Renee Slegers has signed a new long-term contract extending through the summer of 2029.
The 36-year-old Dutch coach was previously due to exit at the end of the 2025-26 season but now commits three and a half additional years to the club. Her extension rewards an extraordinary debut season where she guided Arsenal to historic UEFA Women’s Champions League victory after beating Barcelona 1-0 in the Lisbon final.
From Academy Player to Champions League Winner
Renee Slegers’ connection to Arsenal dates back decades. She played in the club’s academy as a teenager and watched Arsenal claim their previous Champions League trophy in 2007 from the stands. Her return to the club came in summer 2023 as assistant coach following two years leading Swedish club Rosengard where she won back-to-back Damallsvenskan titles.
She stepped into the interim role in October 2024 when Jonas Eidevall departed and impressed immediately with an 11-match unbeaten run. That performance earned her permanent appointment in January 2025, and by May 2025 she had delivered historic Champions League glory.
Arsenal’s Long-Term Vision
Slegers told club media that her journey from academy player to Champions League winning head coach represents immense pride. She stated the club has much to achieve together in the coming seasons. Arsenal Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley described Slegers as an elite coach with capabilities to lead continued title challenges.
Chief Executive Richard Garlick praised her impact driving standards and progress toward consistent top-level competition.
Jodie Taylor Joins as Technical Director
The announcement accompanied confirmation that former England international Jodie Taylor has been appointed Arsenal’s first ever women’s technical director. Taylor, who retired in 2023 after two Arsenal playing spells, will work closely with Slegers on recruitment, analysis and specialisation. Her role bridges previously disconnected recruitment and technical departments creating stronger operational cohesion.
Arsenal continues their title defence facing Manchester United on January 11 with five trophies remaining in play this season.
Also read: Arsenal star Kyra Cooney-Cross returns to Australia after mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis
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