WAVING GOODBYE ... Mathieu Flamini is expected to undergo a medical today and will sign a four-year contract with AC Milan.

MATHIEU FLAMINI has quit Arsenal and agreed a four-year deal with AC Milan. The French midfielder flew to Italy last night for a medical after the Gunners’ 1-0 win over Everton. As Flamini, 23, said his goodbyes to team-mates and club staff yesterday, AC vice-president Adriano Galliani said: “If he passes the medical on Monday morning, he will be a Milan player. He will sign a four-year contract.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger last night admitted he was resigned to losing key players, including Flamini and Alexander Hleb. Wenger had given out-of-contract Flamini — a free signing from Marseille in 2004 — a deadline that expires today to give his final decision on a new deal. Despite the offer of a lucrative new five-year deal - understood to be worth around £55,000-a-week from the Barclays Premier League club, his future remains unresolved.

Last night he refused to be drawn on news that Flamini had already decided his future lay elsewhere. He said: “Frankly I don’t know more than you. Flamini has an offer on the table that is valid until tomorrow and then we will see. “I’m not really worried. I’m not saying I am confident or not. “That means the situation is not in my hands. We’ve done what we had to do and it’s up to him now to decide what to do.”

Wenger insisted Flamini did not feature against Everton because of an ankle problem. Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri last night revealed he had also tried to land Flamini. He said: “We have made an offer and so have Milan, and it seems he has made his choice. We hope he makes his choice from the heart.”

Wenger left open the possibility of Gilberto Silva staying on for one more season if Flamini goes. The Brazil midfielder lost his starting place to Flamini this season. And Wenger said: “It’s not necessarily goodbye to Gilberto. “I want him to stay but I have to sit down with him and see what he wants to do and go from there.

“Gilberto is like Jens Lehmann. You can rely on them, they’re fantastic professionals. “Gilberto is a really fantastic guy. “We won trophies with Gilberto and Jens because they’re special human beings. You don’t win with average people.”

Hleb’s agent has held talks with Inter. And furious Wenger once again threatened the Italians with legal action for publicly stating they want the midfielder. He said: “If they’re interested in Hleb they can call us. You cannot behave how they have done by speaking out in the newspapers.”

AC Milan have completed the signing of Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini on a four-year contract - but the club expect to miss out on Chelsea's Didier Drogba. Flamini is out of contract with the Gunners at the end of the season and on Monday agreed to join the Italian club in a deal which will begin on July 1.

Milan have also been strongly linked with Chelsea striker Drogba in Europe but Milan sporting director Ariedo Braida does not anticipate the Ivory Coast forward joining Flamini at the San Siro this summer. He said: "Drogba is a very interesting player that many clubs would want to have but he is under contract at Chelsea and I believe he will remain at Chelsea next season."

As for France international Flamini, Braida revealed Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is a great admirer of the 24-year-old. "I have to say Flamini was a player that Ancelotti really wanted and Milan is like a family, where decisions are made jointly," he said.

Arsenal had hoped Flamini would agree a deal to stay at the Emirates Stadium, but they always knew it would be difficult with outfits like Juventus and Milan coveting the player. "Flamini is not an unknown player," said Braida. "Just like Didier Drogba isn't.

"I'm not surprised by his talent and I assume several teams would have wanted his services. "Although no negotiations are ever easy, it wasn't difficult to convince Flamini to join Milan. "Flamini has made a choice as his contract with Arsenal is coming to an end and we are delighted he has chosen Milan.

"He is a very good player and he can offer a lot to the team." Flamini expressed his joy at the move after finalising terms with the Serie A outfit. "I am extremely happy. Thanks a million," he said.

Despite the offer of a lucrative new five-year deal - understood to be worth around £55,000-a-week - from the north London club, Flamini's head was turned by Milan's interest. Juventus were also reported to be tracking the player, who has formed a fine partnership with Cesc Fabregas this season after looking to be on his way out of the club at the end of the last campaign.

He put in an impressive performance at the San Siro as Arsene Wenger's team knocked Milan out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage in March. It is understood the former Marseille man said his goodbyes to some staff as he left the car park after yesterday's home win over Everton in the Barclays Premier League.

He will compete for a place in the Rossoneri midfield with Brazil star Kaka and the Italy trio of Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini. Milan beat city rivals Inter Milan 2-1 today to climb into the final qualifying place for the Champions League, leapfrogging Fiorentina who lost 2-1 at Cagliari.

Flamini's last match as an Arsenal player will be Sunday's Premier League trip to Sunderland.

The Emirates Stadium club are understood to have offered Flamini - a player whom 12 months ago looked on his way out of the club - a lucrative new deal, worth around £55,000 a week.

Because he was a free agent, Flamini was able to get himself a better package elsewhere and rumours continue over whether Inter Milan target Alexander Hleb or indeed Fabregas will be at Emirates Stadium for the start of next season.

Wenger, though, insists Arsenal will not be held to ransom by anyone looking to force them to break the club's strict wages cap - and would not want anyone to stay unless it was to share his determination for success.

"It is a problem [the salaries on offer] but we did not master this situation [with Flamini] because when a player is out of contract he can sign where he wants," said Wenger, speaking at a forum for Arsenal's shareholders.

"I must say I am disappointed that he did that - but legally he can do it. "But I hope that 95% of the team, the core of the team, says 'come on, we have only just lost'. "And it is just, because we were leading at Manchester United, we were leading at Chelsea and we were leading at Liverpool in the Champions League - and every time we just lost a little bit of focus and lost the game.

"Let's come back and show we are winners. That is the real target of the team." Wenger believes the experiences of the last nine months, when his side led the Barclays Premier League for long spells only to fade away, will leave his youngsters stronger for the challenges ahead next season.

"We were close this year, but we did not win and what I expect from my team is that, if you are a winner, you say 'let's come back next year and win'," the Arsenal manager said.

"If our players are not capable of doing that and just want to walk out for bigger contracts, for me that would be the biggest disappointment. "If you are a winner you say 'you beat me now in a game but give me a chance to come back and beat you'. That's what I expect of a team.

"If they cannot do that then it means I was wrong completely in my whole judgement of this team. "That would be the biggest disappointment for the club - not only to not win this year but to not be capable of coming back together."