Mathieu Flamini is happy at Arsenal.

The 23-year-old Frenchman said: "I was talking about buying out my contract but I spoke to the board and the boss and we decided it was better for me to stay.

"I wanted them to give me confidence. They gave me confidence and told me that they will need me. I thought: 'Okay, why not? I will stay,' and now I'm happy to be here.

"I'm hoping for opportunities. I'm a footballer, I have a lot to prove, and I'm sure we're going to have a very good season."

Flamini believes in the potential of an Arsenal squad who go into the new campaign without the expectation that they are genuine title challengers.

He said: "We're a very young team but also with a lot of experience. You must not forget we got to the final of the Champions League with this team. We have great players and all the quality to do well. We beat all the strongest teams last year.

"We want to win trophies. That would be a good season. We want to win the Premiership and the Champions League. We have a high objective."