Arsenal Transfers: 5 Key Players Whose Contracts Are Ending Soon

2. Mathieu Flamini (2015)

A victim once already in Arsenal's flawed contract renewing policy is Flamini, who joined AC Milan on a free transfer in 2008 after the Gunners failed to secure him to a new deal. The Frenchman left the club in the season that he became a vital player for them, providing an excellent shield in front of the back four and sweeping up opposition attacks, a skill that had been badly missing from the Gunners' side until he returned. Swept up by Wenger in the summer on a free transfer, the 29-year-old has wasted no time in displaying the fighting attitude that the Gunners desperately needed, and proving himself to be as important a signing in the summer as Mesut Ozil. The player has slotted straight back into the side, and Wenger would do well to avoid making the same mistake twice with one player when his contract expires in 2015. Flamini has expressed his delight at returning to the Arsenal ranks after a mixed time in Italy, and looks to be the answer to a lot of Wenger's problems in recent seasons, and he has gone on to become a mainstay in the first team this season.