Who is Arsenal's newest recruit, Mohamed Elneny?
From an unknown commodity to the player expected to fill the mammoth void left by Francis Coquelin's long-term injury, Mohamed Elneny has become the man of the moment at the Emirates Stadium.
Emerging from the near-obscurity of FC Basel and the Swiss top flight on the periphery of European football to an Arsenal side looking to win its first Premier League title since 2003-04, all eyes are on the 23-year-old deep-lying midfielder.
Save for a handful of YouTube compilations and second-hand observations from a friend of a friend who watches Basel matches online after spending a semester in Switzerland on exchange, Elneny's virtues are uncharted to most Arsenal supporters.
Who exactly is Mohamed Elneny?
The 39-time capped Egyptian international joined famed Al Ahly as a six-year-old in 1997, only to have his contract terminated 11 years later - a journey littered with obstacles that inexorably contributed to the player he is today.
Elneny then moved to another Egyptian side, El Mokawloon, where the 19-year-old garnered plenty of attention playing alongside current Roma winger mo, and with it, a spot on Egypt's Under-23 side that lost in the 2012 Olympic quarter-finals to Japan.
Rife with talent yet unrefined, Elneny joined Basel following a six-month loan deal, winning the Swiss Super League in his first three seasons with the club, and transforming from a player full of potential to the desire of top-flight managers continent-wide.
What are his skills?
Known for an impressive range of incisive passes and sturdiness in the middle of the park, Elneny may be precisely the player Arsenal needs amid speculation concerning higher-profile names like Victor Wanyama, William Carvalho, and Granit Xhaka. While more of a box-to-box midfielder than a deputy for Coquelin, at 23, Elneny is young enough to adapt to a variant of a position under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger.
1. He can take a penalty
Basel's designated free-kick and corner taker, Elneny is as astute putting in a robust challenge as he is wandering forward to unleash one of his marquee long-range rockets. As confident to take a spot kick as he is to put in a bone-shattering tackle, Elneny is a hard-to-come-by talent.
2. He fancies a robust challenge
Typically deployed in a deeper midfield hole similar to that of Coquelin, Elneny does not shy away from a hearty tackle when presented with the opportunity. Blessed with a treacherous mix of stability and stamina, what separates the Egyptian from the masses is his penchant for a heavy challenge. In fact, he takes delight in it.
3. He passes like a Gunner and enjoys shooting from range
Elneny's playmaking acumen stood out during this season's Europa League drive - and undoubtedly had Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger foaming at the mouth - when the Basel midfielder dazzled opponents with 92.4 percent passing accuracy paired with two goals, including a missile versus Fiorentina.
How does he fit?
Sitting atop the Premier League table, two points clear of Leicester City and three up on title challengers Manchester City, Arsenal has spent the last decade desperate for an opportunity like the one that presents itself in 2016.
At 23, Elneny is both a short-term solution and an answer for the aging state of Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla, an ever-absent Tomas Rosicky, and the walking triage center, Jack Wilshere.
Come May 15, the streets of Islington, north London may be littered with the sounds of hysterical fandom and the elation of a group of supporters who had begun to lose faith in their club.
Look closely, and there may be an Elneny kit or two among the throngs of gleeful Gooners.