Arsenal Re-Sign French Midfielder Mathieu Flamini On A 3 Year Deal

Flamini re-signs for the Gunners on a 3 year deal following his contract expiry at the San Siro.

Arsene Wenger has re-signed French midfielder Mathieu Flamini on a 3 year contract from AC Milan after being released from the club. The Frenchman experienced an injury struck career at the San Siro as Arsenal fans were more than skeptical over Wenger’s decision to re-sign the midfielder due to his constant injuries and lack of fitness. Wenger stated earlier today that he did not originally want to re-sign Flamini due to the player’s physical shape. However, physical staff at the Emirates assessed the fitness of former Arsenal man as he turned out to be in top form, changing Wenger’s mind which led to to the club offering him a 3 year deal in London.

The 29 year old began his career with French outfit Marseille in which he was part of the club’s youth squad, making his way up the team’s starting 11. After several impressive performances, Flamini gained attention from all around Europe as Arsenal came out on top to pen the Frenchman’s signature in 2004. During a 4 year spell at the Emirates, Flamini made a total of 157 appearances scoring on 8 occasions, helping the Gunners to win 1 FA Cup, 1 Community Shield and also playing a role in guiding them to the 2006 Champions League Final, loosing to Spanish giants Barcelona 2-1. In 2008, the midfielder opted for a move out of Britain as he joined Italian giants AC Milan on a long term deal. Experiencing a good 2 years in Milan, Flamini slowly saw himself pushed down the pecking order as Ambrosini took prime form, sentencing the Frenchman to much time on the bench. In 2010, Flamini suffered a serious injury which kept him out of football for 2 years, seeing his contract expire in Milan as he re-signed a new 1 year deal just 2 weeks later.

Overall, Flamini is a very controversial signing by Arsene Wenger as the French midfielder will most probably spend much time on the sidelines for a good amount of the season. However, if it is said to be true about his fitness, Flamini could even make an appearance during Sunday’s North London derby in which the player knows all so well. An average signing for the Gunners as the return of the midfielder is certainly not a move that will take the club in a higher direction, more on the lines as a squad filling player.