Mathieu Flamini to close to re-signing for Arsenal, and will become their second free transfer of the summer, after Yaya Sanogo joined from Auxerre.
Flamini is a free agent after being released by Milan in June, and has been training with the Gunners over the summer. The midfielder joins Sol Campbell, Jens Lehmann and Thierry Henry as former Arsenal players that manager Arsene Wenger has re-signed in recent years.
The 29-year-old signed for Arsenal in 2004 after leaving Marseilles and made 153 appearances in four years for the club, including coming on as a substitute in the 2-1 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona in 2006. He then joined Milan on another free transfer in May 2008 and won the Serie A in 2011, but missed the majority of the 2011/12 season with a knee injury.
The Flamini deal will have to be completed by midday tomorrow for him to be registered on time for Premier League match at Fulham on Saturday. With a midfield beset by a spate of injuries, Flamini – who can also fill in at full-back – is set to go straight into the squad. Mikel Arteta, Abou Diaby and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all sidelined.
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