September 7 2016

Selhurst Park (Photo: Andy Roberts)

Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini is close to signing for Crystal Palace.

The 32-year-old is available as a free transfer after leaving the Gunners when his contract expired at the end of last season.

He will fill the final spot in Palace's 25-man squad and bolster the midfield area following the departure of Mile Jedinak.

Eagles chief Steve Parish confirmed to talkSPORT that the ex-Marseille and Milan player is currently undergoing a medical.

Parish said: "That looks like it will happen. It looks like we are going to do that. He's a free agent and we've got a space in the squad. We're down to 24 and that's something we wanted to do.

"With Mile [Jedinak] going, we think he can add something. He is having a medical at the moment."

Palace manager Alan Pardew says he'd be delighted to have someone of Flamini's experience in his line-up.

"He played in a lot of the big, big games for Arsenal when they needed a team to lead and get them over the line. His name was on that list," he told the SLP.

"I’ve always admired what he has done. He’s 32. I signed Teddy Sheringham when he was 38, so the age is never a problem for me. His experience is something that I’m looking at.

"We’ve had a couple of meetings to talk about what he would do here and how he would feel he would compete with Cabaye, Punch, Mutch, Chungy and Ledley – where he would fit into that."