Arsenal: Mathieu Flamini Contract Has Major Implications

Arsenal are looking at a midfield overhaul this summer, but could Mathieu Flamini potentiall defy the odds and remain in North London a while longer?

While superstars like Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are supposedly lobbying for a new contract, another Arsenal man is reportedly doing the same (via the Express). That man is Mathieu Flamini.

It has been expected that Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky will all be moving on when their contracts run up this summer. That will leave Arsenal in a position where they will need to fill the new-found vacancies.

However, Flamini may not be so keen to accept his contract’s fate.

Not long ago, I made a case for the five reasons why Arsenal should extend Mathieu Flamini’s contract. This was in the midst of Coquelin’s injury when Flamini was marshaling the center of the pitch every match. To a certain extent, there are still some perks to extending the Frenchman. However, we have to look at it from every angle.

The main reason why I was supportive of a Flamini extension was simple. Arsenal had no one else. Wenger continues to treat defensive midfielders like a bunch of lepers and if nothing else, Flamini can serve as a defensive midfielder. He does not have any outstanding qualities but he controls the middle of the pitch and he does not get lost ahead of the ball.

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Besides, he is another body between the attack and the defense. He can get reckless, he’s undersized and he is a tad bit of an enigma, but he is a body and that is all Arsenal had for awhile. If Arsenal do not intend to sign another DM, then Flamini should absolutely be extended.

That being said, Flamini’s situation is prime time for Arsenal to make a major statement. If they choose to extend Flamini, they are essentially saying that they are happy with his qualities as a replacement and do not need anyone else. Because we know the likelihood that Arsenal purchase another DM in the summer is slim to none.

On the other hand, deny him a contract and Arsenal absolutely must sign another defensive midfielder. If not, Arsenal will have Coquelin, Chambers and whatever youngsters can stake a claim. Arteta and Flamini have been Wenger’s go-to for fill-in DM’s. But if they’re both gone, there are no other options.

Even Wenger will have to acknowledge the need for a DM if his two fill-ins move on. That could lead to someone like Granit Xhaka coming over to North London.

So it’s a statement. Arsenal must decide if they are content with what Flamini provides. There will be times when Coquelin does not play and in those times, it will most likely fall to Flamini. How confident are they that Flam can cover with confidence?

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Flamini deserves credit for his covering this year. But in the grand scheme, if Arsenal is as serious as they claim to be about competing in every major competition, than Flamini has to go. Either that, or someone else has to be signed and Flamini can stay on as a last-ditch option. But he cannot be option No. 2 any longer.

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