In the last 10 years or so, it’s been pretty common to see an Arsenal player stroll out of the club to then end up facing us in the next few weeks.
Well this is a similar story to the one above, but I don’t think we’ll be as worried when having to take of Mathieu Flamini, who is currently having a medical at Crystal Palace.
Having spent seven years in total with the Gunners, the 32-year-old is one of Arsene Wenger’s longest serving players after he made the switch back from AC Milan to re-sign in 2013.
For the past three years he’s done exactly what he’s been asked to do, but as he counted down the last few months of his contract he became more of a figure in the dressing room compared to the pitch.
Flamini just didn’t have the fitness to keep up with the Gunners anymore, and at the end of last season he joined Thomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta in being released from the club.
Whilst the latter have found new clubs to work with, the Frenchman remains a free agent, and after a summer spending spree Alan Pardew is keen to add experience to his midfield.
Speaking to local reporters, the former Newcastle manager said:
Mathieu is a player I am looking at yes. He would give us a bit more experience to winning games.
I like the fact that whenever he played, he played in the big, big games at Arsenal when they needed someone to kind of lead the team over the line and get results.
Mathieu’s name was always on that list. I have always admired what he’s done, so I am looking at him.
His age, 32, in my mind I signed Teddy Sheringham when he was 38, so the age isn’t a problem for me. I think his experience is something I am looking at, yes.
Flamini has been a hot topic in and around the transfer window due to him still being able to offer something on and off the pitch, but clubs must remember why Wenger let him go.
He’s a liability whilst sitting in front of the defence so Arsenal might actually look forward to facing him when the clubs meet on December 31st later this year.
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