Flamini heads the queue for Emirates exit

AS Jens Lehmann embarked on one last farewell lap of the Emirates Stadium, several of his team-mates slipped more quietly into the shadows to signal the start of a summer revolution at Arsenal.

The German goalkeeper is set to be the most senior but not the most notable departure from north London over the coming weeks, with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani, confirming last night that Mathieu Flamini, the midfielder, was on the verge of completing a free transfer to the Serie A club. The Frenchman will sign a four-year contract today, subject to a medical.

Just two hours earlier, Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, had hinted Flamini’s exit was looming.