We're just getting quotes from AP on Flamini at 5pm as far as I can tell.

Which is annoying.

Edited by Stuk (06 Sep 2016 4.57pm)

Optimistic as ever

They've met, we want him, nothing further yet.

Optimistic as ever

Arsenal flatly refused Wilshire the opportunity to speak with Palace so we will never know whether he would have been equally impressed with Pardew or not.

Crystal Palace boss: I hope ex-Arsenal man Mathieu Flamini signs - we have met twice for talks

By Mark_Ritson | Posted: September 06, 2016

By Mark Ritson
PAMathieu Flamini is in talks with Crystal Palace
Mathieu Flamini is in talks with Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace are hoping to beat off stiff competition for the signature of free agent Mathieu Flamini, Eagles boss Alan Pardew has confirmed.

The 32-year-old has met with Palace officials twice over a move to Selhurst Park.

Pardew admits he left out one space in his Premier League squad "on purpose" in order to bring in someone on a free, and he hopes it is the Frenchman.
However, if Palace fail to land Flamini, there are "one or two" other options Pardew has got his eye on.

PA

"Yes, there is scope to bring in one more into the squad - I did that on purpose as I thought there might be a player we can take who is not under contract, who might just fit what we're doing," the boss said in an exclusive interview with the local press.

"Mathieu is a player I am looking at, yes. He would give us a bit more experience to winning games.

"I like the fact whenever he played, he played in the big, big games at Arsenal when they needed someone to kind of lead the team over the line and get big results.

"Mathieu's name was always on that list. I have always admired what he's done, so I am looking at him.
"His age, 32, in my mind I signed Teddy Sheringham when he was 38, so the age isn't a problem for me. I think his experience is something I am looking at, yes."

Flamini, a holding midfielder, certainly has tough competition for a starting place at Palace - and he knows it.

That midfield spot - vacated by Mile Jedinak - is pretty much the position Pardew wants to fill rather than elsewhere on the pitch, too.

"We've had a couple of meetings with Mathieu to talk about what he would do here and how he would feel about competing with Cabaye, McArthur, Puncheon, Mutch, Chungy and Ledley," said the boss.

"I think another one (in midfield) is where I'm going to go with it (bringing in one more) but whether it's him or not, I don't know.

"We do face strong competition for him, but mainly from clubs who have got a much higher profile than us.

"It could well be a situation like Jack Wilshere, where we are in there but don't get it over the line.

"There others we are considering. There are one or two others floating about who are always of interest."

Pardew admits he left out one space in his Premier League squad "on purpose" in order to bring in someone on a free, and he hopes it is the Frenchman.

"Yes, there is scope to bring in one more into the squad - I did that on purpose as I thought there might be a player we can take who is not under contract, who might just fit what we're doing,"

Do we believe that? Looks like a lie to me as we would have got that free agent when the window was open. We were also linked and made actual bids for midfielders, sounds like a load of BS from Pardew.

Edited by Mad4palace (06 Sep 2016 6.13pm)

We were chasing a DM and had perhaps 3 irons in the fire as the window closed. None of them materialised so presumably the choice was then between filling all 25 places from within or sending more players on loan than necessary to leave 1 or more spare places in case there were suitable free agents still available.
AP says he chose the latter.
Sounds not only plausible to me but also sensible in the circumstances.