Flamini, 32, is a free agent since his contract with Arsenal expired last June 30, so he does not have to wait until the winter transfer window opens to drop anchor at Crystal Palace, reports Efe. Well, it appears there has been significant progress since, with Eagles chairman Steve Parish telling talkSPORT this morning that the Frenchman is now undergoing a medical with the South Londoners.
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Former Arsenal duo Nicklas Bendtner and Mathieu Flamini could be set for a return to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace looking to sign them up respectively.
The Eagles had hoped to land Jack Wilshere on transfer deadline day, but the England worldwide snubbed Palace in favour of a season-long loan move to Bournemouth. Alan Pardew had even held talks with the Englishman and his agent in London, but Wilshere eventually made a decision to opt for a loan move to Bournemouth.
Flamini has been a free agent since ending his second spell with the Gunners at the end of last season and is reportedly attracting the attentions of several clubs. The Frenchman remains a fan favourite at the Emirates.
According to SkySports, the 32-year-old is now undergoing a medical at Crystal Palace.
“We’ve had a couple of meetings with Mathieu to talk about what he would do here and how he would feel about competing with [Yohan] Cabaye, [James] McArthur, [Jason] Puncheon, [Jordon] Mutch, Chung [Yong Lee] and [Joe] Ledley”, Pardew said.
“He’s done great for me, but I think there’s improvement in him”. It was one of the points that Pardew addressed in his interview.
Flamini’s experience, however, will be key to Alan Pardew given that there is a dearth of players with “big match” experience within the Eagles’ squad.
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Zaha has started two of Palace’s three Premier League matches this season and came off the bench to great effect in their clash with Bournemouth prior to the worldwide break.
