Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has been released by Italian giants AC Milan.
The Frenchman left the Gunners in 2008 and joined the Serie A outfit on a free transfer after failing to agree a new deal with the London outfit.
But after four years at the San Siro, Massimiliano Allergri has called time on his adventure in Italy and has placed Flamini on the free agent list.
He had a mixed spell at the Rossoneri after finding it difficult to break into the first team in his preferred central midfield position with competition from the likes of Genaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini.
His best run of fortune came at right-back where he got a run in the side after he struggled for regular first team football.
After a successful run in the 2010-11 season where he helped Milan to the Scudetto, he missed the entire 2011-12 campaign after a knee operation.
It was a similar story for the 28-year-old when he moved to Highbury from Marseille in 2004 after playing just 14 games for the French outfit.
He was used by Wenger as a utility player, often coming off the bench to fill in where required.
Flamini got more action in the last year at Highbury but mainly at full-back due to injuries to Ashley Cole, Gaël Clichy, Pascal Cygan, Lauren and Kerrea Gilbert. He played immensely well at left-back throughout the campaign and was an integral part in Arsenal’s run to the 2006 Champions League final.
He again didn’t feature too much when the Gunners moved to the Emirates until the 2007-08 season after turning down a move to Birmingham City the summer before.
Just like a few years earlier, Flamini broke into the side after injuries kept Abou Diaby and Gilberton on the sidelines.
He filled in so well that he kept the duo out of the team and forged a formidable partnership with Cesc Fabregas in the centre of Arsenal’s midfielder as they came so close to clinching the Premier League title.
However he left at the end of the season and moved to Milan for the next four years, which brings us to today.
He’s 28, is more than familiar with the Arsenal set up and would cost the club absolutely nothing.
Should we try to bring him back to North London? I would say depends.
There is no question that we need a dominant, commanding central midfielder, step forward Yann M’Vila, and need to start signing better quality in general.
While he had one outstanding campaign with Arsenal, it was just the one season, for the three others he wasn’t particularly amazing.
But if push came to shove and we were running out of time, I’m sure he would provide valuable backup, not just in central midfield, but as cover for our increasingly injury-prone full-backs.
Should Wenger bring back the Flaminal back to Arsenal? Have your say below.
Matt Cotton
@FindingCotton
@Aussie gooner….Hi buddy. It really is a Wenger choice if Flamini returns as a squad player he certainly wouldn`t be regular first team. On the face of it, and without knowing the details of employment, I`d say he could be a little insurance. Oh! by the way…I`ve been following the Gunners more than 2 or 3 three years, 65 to be precise. lol
No point being emotional about it. So what if he left before
If wenger thinks he's good enough that's good enough for me.
We did allegedly try and sell him the year before to Birmingham so can understand why he'd jump at Milan right.
Absolutely no effing way. he wasnt good enough first time round.
“While he had one outstanding campaign with Arsenal, it was just the one season, for the three others he wasn’t particularly amazing.”
Well the 1st one he didn't really play and was just ok, in the 2nd when he did start playing regularly at fullback in the CL he was pretty brilliant, and in his final season he was, as you say, outstanding. Considering he was about 20 when he joined, he didn't really do too badly, to say the least, at Arsenal. The problem early on was simply that he didn't get many chances to play.
I'd rather have M'vila to be honest, but if we can't get him, Flamini would be a quality signing. Don't care about the contract issue; we let his contract run down (should have offered him a big bump in January or when it became clear he was a massive player), and he chose to join one of Europe's biggest clubs. He's hardly an Ashley Cole.
The only issue I have with signing him is his recent injury record, but considering he's free and we have quality central/defensive midfielders coming through (Coquelin and Frimpong), and that Arteta and Song run the midfield pretty well for now, it's not such a big deal imo.
This is one player I would NOT have back. He betrayed Arsenal by assuring Wenger he would be re signing the next summer. This made a difference to Wenger's squad plans and then he (Flamini) buggered off anyway. He must have become richer but has shafted his own career. Tough ….
NOT A CHANCE!!!!
I would take Ashley Cole before I would take Flamini. He left us at a time that hurt us the most and was the start of a big landfall for the next 2-3 seasons. We finally got over it this season and there were improving signs despite some weak results but no way in hell would I have Flamini back. I was screaming after he left that we needed to replace him but every gooner online said “nah, we need a striker” and Chamakh was available for 10m and they cried for him. We didn't sign him, we signed him 12 months later on a free, and look how that turned out? Point is we needed to replace the Flamini position WHILE Cesc was at the club and I was waiting for the Wilshere, Cesc and Song combination to work but Fabregas was $hit last year and didn't have his heart in it at all.
Any Gooner who says they'll have him back is a) not a gooner or b) following Arsenal less than 2-3 years
If he wants back, I'd take him. He knows Arsenal, the BPL and AW. No settling in time. However, I doubt he'll be free. They typically get a hefty sign-on fee when they're out of contact
He is experienced, he knows the `Arsenal way`, he`s versitile, he`s free. We need cover at midfield and full back.
The unknown facts are social activity and temperament and his ability to adjust in the dressing room. If we can tick these boxes I`d say `yes`. Leave it you Arsene.
No way. Why? He's past his best years.
i would welcome him with open arms and place him straight into the first team
No way he is of the past now, he want to play for Milan right he should go away, he left us for dead now we want to help his shitty career. NO WAY
He was nothing special, had one good season playing alongside Fabregas but I believe Cesc made him look better than he perhaps was… He decided to 'cash in' on as free transfer to AC Milan, and obviously got a fat cheque as a signing on fee…As a result he's buggered up his career, how many times have we seen this happen ?…He's 28 now hasn't played much football in the last 3 or 4 years, and has suffered a major knee injury, and we don't need him… He'll probably end up at Spurs, which has turned in to a bit of a home for Ex-Arsenal 'waifs and strays' in recent years.(Bentley, Gallas, Adebayour) I could easily see Flamini being added to that illustrious list…
Song is better if you ask me and we need someone who can be a pure anchor midfielder like M'Vila, we already have box to box midfielders in Song, Coq and Frimpong. Flamini has a good engine in him but he doesn't have anything that set him apart from what's on our roster already. We'd do well with a real Makalele type who knows when he shouldn't even go past the half-line.
Flamini eh, you are having a lough mate. I would'nt have him with pay to us.
He is getting paid for what he did to us. At 28 and then be put on transfer is
not a place any decent player would like to be. He left when our finances
were quite parlous, so now that we are about to emerge from that situation
I would love to have quality players who are competitive like the pre 2004
generation. Bergkamp, Pires, Thierry, Vieira, Campbell, and Cashley Cole.
Now imagine that we also had Ljungberg who could come off the bench
and do business. Could go on forever.