You guys are shitting on a fourth-choice midfielder. It's not Elneny we need to upgrade, it's Xhaka.
I quite like Elneny for what he is. He doesn't complain when he doesn't get playing time and he has a big engine. He came into the team after we lost Partey, and he was the only midfieler who could get the ball forward under pressure to connect the midfield and the attack. We won against both Chelsea and United with him on the pitch, and not in spite of him. He had a big hand in both of those victories.
It's not his fault that Xhaka is a regular starter in this side or that we don't have any cover at all for the fullbacks; nor is it his fault that we spent a wad of cash on Lokonga, who isn't ready, or decided to loan out Maitland-Niles, who is. I'd happily take Maitland-Niles back next season and use him as a backup midfielder, but I don't think that's going to happen. If we ever find ourselves in the situation we were in towards the end of this season I'd much rather have Elneny to throw on than Patino.
