Could this be the end for this Arsenal veteran?

Reports have emerged that Mathieu Flamini has been told he is free to leave Arsenal, potentially signalling an end to his second stint at the club. Flamini is in the final year of his contract and has fallen below Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta in the pecking order.

According to reports from ESPN, the Frenchman has been told he is surplus to requirements at the club and is attracting interest from a number of suitors around Europe. Turkish outfit Galatasaray were said to be keen on the player earlier in the summer and is believed to be front runners for the players’s signature.

Flamini was omitted from the match day squads that faced both Chelsea in the Community Shield and West Ham in the Premier League opener, so there just be some validity in these reports.

Arsenal’s reported pursuit of Sevilla’s Gregorz Krychowiak is perhaps another sign that Flamini could be on his way out, and for me it is the right decision from Wenger and the club.

Flamini is ageing and has lost a step in agility and recovery pace. Krychowiak is a step up in all of these categories, so Arsenal will be upgrading. Flamini has been a great servant to the club and we will always thank and respect him for his contributions.