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Arsene Wenger insists he's only there to regain fitness, but the sight of Mathieu Flamini training with old side Arsenal has set the rumour mill in motion, and now, some sources claim he will be offered a one-year contract at the club. Unless you're a diehard Serie A fan, you may not have seen enough of Flamini in recent years to know whether the Frenchman is worth a brief return to the Emirates, so with that in mind, talkSPORT looks at how he got on at AC Milan.
Passing
Flamini left Milan last summer after a five season spell, and the good news for Arsenal fans is that the Frenchman enjoyed a decent Serie A campaign last year. His passing accuracy in 2012/13 was still a very respectable 86.5%, with that figure remaining high in the opposition half as well at 83.22%. While that doesn't quite match the 91% overall passing and 88.6% in the opponent's half that he achieved at his peak with the Italian side in 2008/09, it still shows his class on the ball remains intact, and that he can keep possession ticking over under pressure.
Interceptions
Should Flamini stick around, he will be expected to do more than just keep the ball however, as Arsenal's real need is for someone to effectively break up opposition play. In that regard, it's clear that Flamini still isn't scared of a tackle, making 35 last season and winning 27 of those. He's decent in the air, too, winning 80 of 131 aerial duels in 2012/13, his best aerial showing since his first season with the Rossoneri in 2008/09, when he won 98 aerial battles.
Discipline
Discipline hasn't been too much of a problem for Mathieu Flamini, despite the midfielder having been sent off four times in his career. The good news for the Gunners is that over the past few years Flamini has cut down the number of fouls he makes, recording just 22 fouls last season in Serie A. This is an all time low with Milan, and is less than half of his peak of 50 fouls in 2008/09.
Attacking
Though attacking isn't Flamini's biggest strength, he still chipped in with four league goals and created a further nine goal scoring chances last season. In terms of goals, that's his best ever return for Milan in the league, while in terms of creating chances, it is once again his best since 2008/09. Goals are always welcome at Arsenal, so a new found attacking side to his game could be useful at the Emirates.
talkSPORT Verdict
Overall, the numbers show that bringing Flamini in may not be as desperate as it sounds, as his performances in Serie A last season were respectable by any standard. Arsene Wenger takes a lot of flack, but if the Frenchman returns to the Emirates and produces the goods, the boss should rightly be credited for a cunning move.
http://talksport.com/football/worth-one-year-deal-how-mathieu-flamini-has-performed-leaving-arsenal-13082356918
