Flamini set to buy his way out of Arsenal
Mathieu Flamini has admitted a lack of first-team opportunities
could force him to buy out the final year of his contract and leave
Arsenal.
The defensive midfielder was recruited by the Gunners from
Marseille in the summer of 2004, but has failed to secure a regular
place in the club's starting eleven.
The 23-year-old is now in competition with a clutch of young
midfield talent brought through by manager Arsene Wenger, such as
Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby and Denilson.
And Flamini claims he could be approaching the end of his time at
the Emirates Stadium.
'The next three years will be important for me,' he told L'Equipe.
'I want to play, to go to the next level.
'The Arsenal team is young, it has quality, but I am not playing as
much at the moment.
'It isn't easy to live like this and I am in a situation where all
players ask themselves questions.
'I am coming to the end of the cycle. I have just spent three years
at Arsenal and my lawyer has told me that I could leave in
June.
'For that, I must pay the final year's salary to the club.'
Flamini's stock rose earlier this season when he was drafted into
the France squad by coach Raymond Domenech for February's friendly
against Argentina.
But he has hardly been selected by Arsenal since, and over the
course of the season he has mainly been named on the bench by
Wenger.
His versatility came to Arsenal's rescue last season when he played
at left-back in the absence of the injured Ashley Cole and Gael
Clichy.
He proved a key player for Wenger in the Gunners' run to the
Champions League final. However, he lost his place to Cole for the
showpiece against Barcelona, who ended up winning 2-1.
Flamini has now set his sights on European glory - at Arsenal or
elsewhere.
'I want to continue to work, to progress,' he added.
'I want to score more goals, make more passes and win the Champions
League.'
