April the Deadline for Flamini

SIGN THE DEAL NOW!

I wonder if he feels he's proved a point now though. Plus, given Wenger's recent comments, it seems money is a sticking point. The only time I can remember us bowing to wage demands under AW was Kanu and that ended up being a bad call because Kanu rather lost his way after that.

Thierry's last year was a gamble with money that failed too - reports about that have resurfaced from the Supporters' Trust these few days. If Flam loves to stay as much as he claims and lets money get in the way, while the money offered shouldn't be bad already I believe, it'd be hard to keep him should he become a bigger star later anyway. As much as I love to see Flam stay, I'd still trust Arsene on making this call. This wages budget is coming out of the bigger bucket which also includes the transfer budget after all. If Arsene gives a huge rise to him means he has to also give it to outstanding performers this year, say Ade/Clichy/Cesc. Even if they're not necessarily "greedy," their agents would push for rises anyway. Arsene said recently that the wages have gone so out of control that he has to look at players' contracts literally every year, bcos of this new rule that allows those who're under 28 to leave the club even though they're under a long-term contract. He didn't have to face it before, a player under contract was a player under contract. I can see why he doesn't want to bend the rules for one player and crash the floodgate open. That's kind of what's happening at ManU right now. Rio Ferdinand deservedly gets a pay rise, and Carrick and Brown got their contracts extended with improved terms too. You guys have watched football longer than I have. Don't you think these contract extensions way before its expiry are happening more frequent than before, than say the pre-PL era definitely? If Arsene thinks Flam's requests have crossed his bottomline, and that he could secure a replacement within that bucket of money, I just trust him.

will he stay then or will he go?

After his performance this season, you should certainly keep him!

It will be a shame for you lot to lose probably your most consistent player this season. But teams shouldn't be messed around over contracts by players...

I don't want to get misunderstood, but who the ***** cares here? I like Flamster he's been tremendous for us this season - and that's it. he's given us a good season and Arsene gave him a fair chance which he took. Fair play to both of them. So now, if he's nagging over a Renault-swerving 5-10k, good for him - he can't get them at places like the Bodge + a good book deal which guarantees to sell no more than a couple of thousand samples. Don't these people ever learn? On the other side, the way he dumped Marseille to come to us shows he is quite capable in making the decisions he finds the best for himself. And Lou, I'm guessing Wes Brown's improved offer is more like him hitting the jackpot unlike Flamini's whose is allegedly doubled from his previous one, but still behind that of Brown and also within a certain wage structure.

wouldnt want him to leave but if he does thats life. As has been said i hope its not a money thing and if it is, PEACE OUT DUDE!!!

I hope he stays but the problem is he's available for free. Let's just say Juventus values him at 12 million pounds, but they don't have to give it to Arsenal so they give it to the player- that's over 46,000 pounds a week they can put in his pocket, and that's above what they wanted to pay him. So Arsene offers 45,000/week, they can offer 90,000/week, and probably get him for 60,000 no matter where his loyalties lie. The dilemma for Arsenal is that it would cost a lot to replace him and the wages would be similar if not more, so the wage structure is disrupted whether he stays or goes. Well, maybe Gilberto has another year left and Diaby is ready to step up.