Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger: I was reluctant to re-sign Mathieu Flamini

Arsene Wenger admits he was at first “reluctant” to re-sign Mathieu Flamini for Arsenal – but says the Frenchman’s form in training convinced him to change his mind.

The midfielder, who left Arsenal in 2008, signed a three-year deal with the Gunners last month after he was released by AC Milan at the end of last season.

And Wenger has revealed that it was not a straightforward decision to bring the 29-year-old back to Emirates Stadium.

“First of all I believe that he realised what he had here,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “When you’re very young, it is difficult to understand what he had at Arsenal.

“I must say I was reluctant to sign him again but he was so honest in his statement that he wants to play the kind of football we play, that he wants to help us to win. He convinced me through his attitude and his desire in training that he will be the right signing for us.

“It was his attitude. He could have gone somewhere else. He had offers but he wanted to put it right with this club and I think he felt somewhere that he had something to bring to the piece here. He was determined to do that.”

Flamini was handed his first Premier League start of the season in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday.