Flamini signs for Milan

06.05.2008

MATHIEU Flamini has completed his free transfer move to Milan after passing a medical at Milanello. It’s an incredible transformation for a player who struggled to hold down a first-team place for his first three seasons at Arsenal and who almost signed for Birmingham City last summer.

Flamini has certainly had a good season. He has been an influential member of Arsenal’s improving squad this season and was only on the losing side in two games in the league and Europe – one of those was against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter final second leg that saw him injured after 40 minutes. That injury curtailed his season and also changed the game as Liverpool were able to get off the back foot and dominate the rest of the match, winning 4-2 on the night.

Flamini missed The Gunners’ first league defeat of the season at Middlesbrough and the Champions League loss away to Sevilla. He was also injured for the defeat by Man Utd at Old Trafford that was the final blow in Arsenal’s title challenge.

The loss of Flamini causes problems for Arsene Wenger who picked the young Frenchman up for a compensation fee from Marseille. The Arsenal boss signed and sold Lassana Diarra in the space of four months and, with Gilberto also reported to be possibly leaving, Arsenal’s scouts will no doubt be scouring through their dossiers to find a suitable replacement.