Serbian starlet Marko Grujic arrived in Liverpool on Sunday evening ahead of the completion of his £5.1 million move from Red Star Belgrade.
The 19-year-old is expected to have a medical on Monday, and should be confirmed as the first signing under Jurgen Klopp on a five-year deal early in the week.He will then head back to Belgrade on loan until the end of the season
Grujic, whose blend of athleticism and intelligence means he can operate in either a deeper or an advanced midfield role, will return to Red Star on loan until the end of the season after finalising the formalities of his switch.
Red Star are enduring financial difficulty after nearly going out of business 18 months ago and could not reject Liverpool’s offer for their premier asset. The Merseysiders were also willing to pay Grujic’s transfer fee upfront instead of via instalments, along with the agreement of a 10% sell-on clause.
It seems that it is only a matter of time before Arsenal complete their first transfer signing of the January window.
Over the last few weeks we have covered at length, the Gunners’ pursuit of Basel midfielder Mohamed Elneny, and according to several media sources it's a done deal
It is understood that the 23-year-old has completed a medical ahead of his £5 million move to the Arsenal, and it seems like his former side have already acted quickly to replace their departing midfielder.
The tweets below from FC Basel official twitter account can confirm that.
FC Basel are happy to announce the signing of Swedish Midfielder, Alexander Fransson from IFK Norrköping. pic.twitter.com/bMX99TnIqp
Arsenal will complete the £5 million capture of Basle midfielder Mohamed Elneny next week.
The Egyptian has completed a medical and is now awaiting international clearance before joining up with his new team-mates at the club's London Colney HQ.
Arsene Wenger dodged questions regarding Elneny after Saturday's win over Newcastle
Nevertheless, the Frenchman hopes to have the central midfielder available for next weekend's FA Cup third-round clash against Sunderland.
He is popularly called the "destroyer"in Egypt
Elneny, 23, is expected to be the Gunners' only January signing, though right back Mathieu Debuchy could leave the club after asking Wenger for a move.
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Elneny has made nearly 100 appearances for Basle while winning three consecutive Swiss Super League titles with FC Basel. His performances in Europe have been particularly impressive in that time,contributing in victories against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.
The 23-year-old would be eligible to feature in Arsenal's Champions League campaign this season and could be a valuable addition, possessing the qualities to play alongside Aaron Ramsey as a sitting midfielder, as well as next to Mathieu Flamini, or Francis Coquelin, as an engine ready to help out in both boxes.
The Egyptian midfielder caught the eye of big clubs with his performances against the likes of Liverpool
The cheap fee considering his potential makes him all the more attractive to Wenger, who is set to let Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and Flamini leave on free transfers in the summer.
Arsenal fans have been longing for a physical presence in midfield for some time and while this may not be a record-breaker, Elneny, who has been capped 40 times by his country and played at the 2012 London Olympics, fits the Wenger mould.
Click to watch skills, goals and assists of Mohamed Elneny below
