Flamini denies money was motivation for leaving Arsenal for AC Milan

The 24-year-old said he was not concerned Milan will miss the Champions League next season after finishing fifth in Serie A but he admitted he would welcome Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor and Chelsea's Didier Drogba to the San Siro.

New home: Mathieu Flamini (right) said he got the shivers when he entered the San Siro to play against Milan for Arsenal in the Champions League

"I always said Milan would have been my first choice if I left Arsenal and I didn't do it for money," Flamini told La Gazzetta dello Sport."I don't say it to boast, but I had lots of offers and I chose Milan because it's every player's dream. It wasn't easy to decide to leave London but I knew what I wanted."

While Flamini will miss out on Champions League football with the Gunners next season he believes the rossoneri's campaign in Europe's second tier will be a one-season event.

"I don't mind at all," he said. "Those who play in the UEFA Cup with Milan know that it's the exception of one season. Milan are the team with most (international) titles in theworld.

"They are a great club with a great history, a good, amiable coach, excellent players, passionate fans. When I entered the San Siro on the night of Milan-Arsenal it made me shiver."

He added that he is confident Serie A is on the up after the 2006 match-fixing scandal.

"Serie A is returning to the top. The problems are water under the bridge, lots of great players will come to Italy."

Although he said leaving the Gunners "was not easy", Flamini admitted he was happy to leave behind the British media.

He said: "I like to eat out and go to the cinema, so if you tell me that the newspapers in Italy are not interested in the player's private lives, then that is a huge weight lifted.

"Life is good in England except for the paparazzi chasing the players with their new girlfriends, which is a nightmare."

Adebayor and Drogba are two names constantly linked with the defending World Club Cup champions, and Flamini would welcome them with open arms.

"If I had the money, I would take both of them," he continued. "They are both incredible attackers and I would also be happy if Sheva (Andrei Shevchenko) returns because things may have not gone well for him in England, but he remains a champion."