Aston Villa could lure Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny to Villa Park in the January transfer window, Pete O'Rourke has claimed.

What's the word?

The Egyptian midfielder has six months left on his Arsenal contract with an option for a further year, but whilst he is not a starter, he is a useful player for Mikel Arteta as he provides crucial cover for Thomas Partey.

Arsenal may be reluctant to sell him this window without a replacement unless he pushes for a move, and O'Rourke believes that Unai Emery could lure Elneny to the club.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, O'Rourke claimed that if Villa step up their interest in the 30-year-old, they can secure him.

He said: "I think Arsenal won't be too keen to lose him in this transfer window, but I'm sure if Villa step up their interest, they can maybe lure the player away."

A surprise move

Given that Elneny, who was hailed as an "incredible" player by Dani Ceballos, featured just 17 times under Emery before the Spaniard sent him out on loan during his Arsenal tenure, it is somewhat surprising that the Villa boss is keen on him.

Villa already have Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz, whom Arsenal tried to buy in the summer, in his position, and it is unlikely that Elneny would be a starter at Villa.

Although he may bring a good amount of reliability and commitment, he may not be the right signing to try and take Villa to the next level, and at 30 he is not a long-term option for the future.

Ian Wright recently praised his contributions to Arsenal, claiming that he is "brilliant" and is a useful asset off the bench to try and control the game.

With this in mind, it seems unlikely that Arteta will want to part ways with his player halfway through the season unless a good offer arrived, and better value may be found elsewhere for Villa.