According to the French version of Eurosport, Ligue 1 side Bastia are weighing up a move for Mathieu Flamini.
The 31-year-old fell down the midfield pecking order at the tail end of last season and is regarded as the prime candidate to leave the Emirates should Arsene Wenger bring in new blood as support for Francis Coquelin. Fellow veteran Mikel Arteta is believed to have signed a new deal at the club.
The Frenchman has made 69 appearances since he returned to the Emirates in 2013 and has one year left on his current deal. He’d previously played 153 times for the Gunners in a four year stint between 2004-2008 before leaving on a free to AC Milan.
While Bastia, who finished 12th in France’s top flight last campaign, are believed to be keeping tabs on Flamini, it appears a move is far from straightforward.
For one thing the Corsican outfit have the threat of relegation looming over them due to financial irregularities. It’s also reported that Bastia would need Arsenal to release the player from his contract and for Flamini to take a significant drop in salary as his current wage far exceeds anything earned by their current squad members.
It all sounds rather fanciful at the moment. Arseblog News quite fancies a Ferrari but with £7.21 in our current account we’re a long way from slipping into a pair of velvet driving shoes and heading to the Mayfair dealership.
Not that we’re suggesting Flamini is a Ferrari, he’s more like a P-Reg, 1.8 litre Ford Mondeo estate with beaded seat covers and a dicky clutch.
7 poos.
Unlikely to happen, but I would be happy with an upgrade.
Well he said he had unfinished business when he rejoined and I think two FA cup winners medals is a good return on that. I don’t know why more mid to lower league teams aren’t sniffing around. The guy would be ideal for a relegation dog fight. I personally think we’ve little use for him. His ability to cover full back positions is no longer necessary and apart from having the heart of a lion, there’s little quality there. I love him and I’d miss him but let’s get him off the wage bill if possible.
Flamini has a track record for running down his contracts. Not sure if it’s an ideology of his to always stay the duration of his contracts, but not sure he’d actually leave before it’s up. Also agree that he’s surplus to requirements and it would be good to get him of our wage bill.
I doubt this has anything to do with which clubs are or aren’t “sniffing around”: if this story is true (and I’d give it 80% likely myself based on what he’s said in the past about Corsica), I assume this move has been proposed by Flamini himself (just like moving to Milan and returning to Arsenal).
Jeremy Wilson has been printing since January that Arsenal would be ‘open to offers’ for him this summer, so he surely had been given notice. I’d say whatever move happens will be of his making
Good for everyone involved; the club, arsenal fans, Bastia, even Flamini himself as surely he knows he’s at his twilight years and was, quite frankly, lucky to get a deal at arsenal in the first place (or is that second place?) I’m sure he’d much prefer more playing time.
Flamini taking a pay cut? I don’t see it.
He is one of the most money driven players in my opinion, hence him always seeing out his contracts and getting higher pay because of it (the club he moves to saves a transfer fee so he gets more). Next year for sure, once he is out of contract.
He learnt from and copied Sol on running his contract down.
The key is understanding transfer fees and the cost. If Flamini would be worth £10m in the transfer market for a 4 year contract (say when he was moving to Milan) then if he runs his contract down to zero the next club he moves to doesn’t have to pay that £10m. It is a large sum – £2.5 a year or £50k a week. Hence Flamini can argue for a higher salary as he has saved his next club that money. Say split the difference and he gets an extra £25k a week. Sol was on a huge salary… Read more »
You have no idea. When he moved to Milan, he actually turned down higher offers, because he *wanted to play for Milan*, a club that he’d admired since he was a kid. He had the chance to play for his dream club and took it. When his contract expired, he re-signed for half the salary. When he returned to Arsenal, it was hardly for the money: he got a pretty average salary: he wanted to come back to deal with what he cakled his ‘unfinished business’, ie, try to win tge PL and CL. If Arsenal release him from his… Read more »
Let’s see then. I understand about Milan though he managed getting paid well there as he got paid more from not having a transfer fee. He isn’t a top player so doesn’t get paid so much, he was out of the Milan team a lot. Three French caps, the last in 2008. Given his talent I would say he has done very well financially due to his tactics.
* given his talent.
how much did he earn at milan and how much were arsenal paying him before he went?
I don’t know, I’m not his agent!
But better than at Arsenal, Milan were a top side then and the free transfer will have helped a lot, see the explanation above.
You’re seriously suggesting he took a pay cut??
Think your spot on here mate, there is absolutely no way Flamini took a pay cut to go to Milan. Running down your contract in football is frowned upon, but a financially smart move for players. In my opinion it’s also not as bad a thing as we fans tend to make it out to be. Honoring your contract then moving on seems like a fair thing to do in my book.
“I understand about Milan though he managed getting paid well there as he got paid more from not having a transfer fee. He isn’t a top player so doesn’t get paid so much,”
then how the fuck do you know all that?
Read my other posts on running down transfer fees and boosting his pay, France caps, playing record. And look at the support he is getting, most Arsenal fans want an upgrade.
Or look on Wikipedia/wherever yourself, form your own views and let us know the evidence you have for them.
Oh so you actually do know how much he was being paid prior to joining Milan, what Milan paid him, and what he’s currently on?
Cool. Tell us then I’d be curious to know.
So, when I said no above, I can see you didn’t understand. I apologise for not making it clearer for you.
However, something at Arsenal, more at Milan (no transfer fee), less at Arsenal second time (but more than it would have been due to no transfer fee).
Not a top player, so not top wages, he got 3 French caps (Squilacci got 21, Diaby 16, Silvestre 40, Giroud 38, M’Vila 22 to date). Perhaps research and think, then come back with the flaws in what I’m saying. Happy to debate, when you have something to debate about.
Once the media broadcast his imminent departure, other clubs will start asking questions. Hope he finds a decent club, like the one Anelka is managing in India.
I wouldn’t mind if he stuck around. I love his shouty, pointy ways and think he’d be useful even if only on the training pitch.
Sorry, disagree. when he came in a few times in the second half of last season, our play went from controlled to chaotic. I love his passion, but it’s time for him to move on.
Think his shouting and reprimands got Ozil to turn a corner. New contract please!
Give him another season, he might gouge Jose in the eye. Show em how to do it properly in a non cowardly fashion
We need an upgrade on Flamini for sure. Maybe even start to blood Bielik. I know he is young, but Messrs Wilshire and Fabregascunt came through at roughly the same age.
It’s pointless signing anyone like Schneiderlin or Carvalho, because it would simply undermine Coquelin. Him and Cazorla should be central next season and now and again throw Ramsey and/or Wilshire in there to mix it up. Arteta can be used sparingly and possibly Bielik to play in the Carling Cup.
Agree with blooding Bielik.
I managed Bastia on CM 96/97 and they’ve got a nice little set up there. I loved the lifestyle on Corsica.
Been there on hols, a beautiful place. I cant think of anyone but glen cockeril? who might.
I like Flamini but he’s definitely one of the most expendable players in the squad. If not Bastia then I’m sure he’ll be away somewhere soon.
And I’m £9.37 off my overdraft limit Hound, so we’re both looking short on the Ferrari front!
Expendable you say? Well perhaps if we get him in a team with Stallone, Statham and Lungren then we can finally conquer Europe…
…in a neo-colonial, God bless America. no women allowed, “Oh my gosh is everyone else dead – how did that happen?” kinda way
I would literally love to see The Flam as an Expendable. Himself and all the lads Halo jumping from a bad ass plane into White H*rt Lame, dual-weilding MG42’S whilst Lundgren has his way with Levy.
If he does go I would like to thank him for his commitment on the pitch and for kicking so many players that deserved it at the time of execution!
If Arteta and Rosicky are staying, they must have been assured of some game time though they’re 6th and 7th choice in midfield (Ozil, Ramsey, Santi, Coq, Wilshere being the first 5). There is no chance another midfielder is joining us. Flamini is quality backup as an 8th choice midfielder and unless Wenger feels Zelalem or Bielek are capable of a better job there’s no reason to move him on. We can afford to forego a couple of million and bear his wages for one season.
We pretty much buy midfielders every season so I think another addition this year is not impossible lol.
If Flamini does go, it might signal that Vidal might actually be the next target coming in.
Flamini is a much better player than given credit. There has been this sudden mass hysteria that has made him the scape goat of our poor performance start of the season. Frankly the issue was more related to the lack of a proper Cback pairing for Per when Koscielny was unavailable that had us reliant on inexperienced players in the position, causing confusion. We leaked most of our goals first half of season from crosses, corners which was the result to our detriment. had Coquelin played at that stage, results would have likely not been too dissimilar. That said, Coquelin… Read more »
The other thing about Flamini is from the bench, he can cover several positions. Arteta is more limited in that respect. Again, too much is made about him being responsible for our ‘poor performance’ where frankly our issues were more deep rooted in defense. If you actually look at it objectively, the times when he comes on, he has made equal or less mistakes than Coquelin has. What Coquelin has advantage over him is energy levels bc of age. But Flamini has actually improved his passing percentage this season and has weighed in with several critical tackles that have been… Read more »
You actually said everything that there is to say. Everything.
Not a single apostrophe or abbreviation. The bar has been set.
“bc of age”
Flamini joining ex-Arsenal legend, the one and only Sebasiten “Squidward” Squillaci will surly make the team more stable at the back. Although to be fair to Flamini, while he is not good enough for Arsenal, he is not as bad, as to play for the 12th placed team, in the 6th best league in Europe. I see him as a Sunderland/Villa/Stoke level player…
I don’t really see him elsewhere in the PL: he loves Arsenal, wouldn’t play for a rival when he left before, and turned down multiple offers in the hopes of signing for Arsenal again.
The story from camp Flam for aacouple of years is that he’d be interested in returning to the south of France, so back to OM, or Monaco, or whatever. Or Bastia: not for the money but to really go back home
He’s said before that he really wants to finish his career back at Marseille so, if they want him, that might be a possibility.
Should go to the states big money sunshine and 2star fifa rated football
His stated ambition is to rejoin Marseilles at the end of this contract and complete the Flamini free-cycle. He has legal training and seems to be a pretty smart bloke who has never said one thing to the club and fans and done the opposite, unlike a few recent ex-Arsenal captains. Good luck to him.
Well sort of. Marseille reporters ask him every single year whether he’s coming back, and he always says the same thing : that OM are the ‘club of his heart’ and that you ‘never know in football’ etc.
You could say the same thing about Bastia for that matter: he’s Corsican, they’re Corsican… its an eady connection to make
I don’t want to advertise, but you have to read this:
http://metro.co.uk/2015/07/07/7-reasons-arsenal-must-re-sign-robin-van-persie-from-manchester-united-during-transfer-window-5283896/
I’ve always knew that Metro’s journalist are totally insane, but seriously what are they smoking in the editorial office???
But… He and Ozil have a bromance… Think of the intangibles he offers in the dressing room!
This is exactly what I was going to say. Can’t let him go or a piece of Ozil may go with him.
Especially as Poldi has gone now too.
Probably our best player to bring on at 1-0 up with 15 minutes to play. But depends if hes happy with that role or not.
Flamini surely fits into a Sunderland/Stoke like team, maybe one of the newly promoted teams too. Wage might be a problem. The only other reason for Flamini not moving could be that we don’t have a like for like backup for Coquelin. At least no yet. I think he’s a decent addition for a mid table team.
From what I gather, Mathieu and Mesut have formed a bit of a bromance; I’d keep him around, if only to be Özil’s buddy.