Mathieu Flamini is supposedly holding out for a pay-off despite being told he can leave Arsenal this summer.

It’s being reported that the Frenchman, who has a year left on his existing contract with us, has been told he can leave but the midfielder wants us to pay him for the remainder of his contracted time with us.

Although I’m unsure how true this story is, the midfielder has made no secret of the fact he wants to stay at Arsenal but, after only featuring consistently in the first half of last season, Wenger doesn’t feel the need to keep him around.

The 31-year-old has sparked the interest of a few clubs during the transfer window, most notably, Lukas Podolski’s new club, Galatasaray.

At this point in time, it’s definitely far more likely that Flamini will be leaving this summer. With Francis Coquelin excelling in the defensive midfield position and Mikel Arteta now fit after last season’s injury, there’s simply no place for him in the team.