Lassana Diarra

[GoonerGurjit]

Gunners get Diarra
By Paul Smith 29/07/2007

Lassana Diarra, Chelsea's tough-tackling midfielder, is set to join Arsenal in a £2million deal this week.

The 22-year-old Frenchman is entering the last year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and has made it clear he doesn't see his long-term future with the Blues.

So Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger will move to recruit a youngster who collected 10 yellow cards in 21 games last season.

Chelsea never lost a competitive match last season when Diarra, an aggressive ball-winner who can also play at right-back, was in their line-up.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/07/29/gunners-get-diarra-98487-19537309/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/foo ... -19537309/</a>

 

[dos1986]

Cant see it happening,but wouldnt mind it for £2mill....

He's better than Flamini,Song and Diaby imo,he is very athletic and is the kind of rabid dog we dont have here.....snarling and yapping at your ankles,doing just about anything to take the ball and burst it,which we really need...

 

[Lukazan]

Doesn't see a long-term future at Chelsea? Why not? He got quite abit of playing time towards the end of last season and Makelele isn't getting any younger.

I'd call this rubbish.

 

[nidza7]

a non-story.

 

[asajoseph]

He's a good player, and, if he's in his last year of his contract, it's not as impossible as it sounds, if only next summer.

Don't think it's happening mind, but at a bargain price, I wouldn't mind it, provided Wenger does something about the ridiculous wing situation as well!

 

[siddharth]

Yes please. He is a very good player and will give us that bite which we have severely lacked since the days of vieira. He can even play at RB and will give us some much needed quality depth.

Having said that i still can't see him getting much playing time here and after signing sagna this just looks like a distant possibility.

 

[Legend#1]

Just because Flamini has decided to stay, maybe Wenger sees Diarra, who maybe is available, as a better version of Flamini, which he is, ad Diarra is versitile like Flamini.

Or maybe I just want Flamini to feck off

 

[otfgoon]

Diarra is great but I cant see this happening.

 

[>YounGunner<]

The only thing Roman would sell us is a good amount of Russian Oil for 20million and a filipinos left testical thrown in the deal.

 

[MDGoonah41]

This doesn't seem that far fetched. Chelsea don't have a lot of bargaining power as he only has one year left, and if Jose doesn't feel like he's going to find him adequate playing time, and Diarra doesn't want to stay after this season, why not get something for him?

I'd certainly take him over Flamini and Song.

 

[thegame24]

good player, cant see it happening though.

 

[Clrnc]

chelsea won't sell him to us. thats for sure.

2m for him its a good deal

 

[longrufus]

Chelsea arnt in any position to hold firm though, he only has a year left on his contract, come January he can sign a pre contract agreement.

£2million is a fair price to be honest.

Very talented player, would be a good addition to the squad. Do i really see it happening, have to say no as we seem full at CM unless someone leaves.

 

[Rocafella]

wouldn't mind diarra at all. very good player. would be suprising to say the least if it were to go through though.

 

[nazo]

He's a decent player but i don't know where he would fit in the team. We have enough players in the center and if he was going to be used at RB we have enough players there too. It would be a pointless signing and i don't think it's true anyways.

 

[gunner_down_under]

Unless he turns into some sort of a wing wizard a-la Pires/Giggs, he's not really needed here!

 

[number_0]

but why will he come to us though....
i Mean our CM position is even deeper than chelsea's

 

[qs]

He's alright but he's very similar to Song, though a bit better. Not to mention that we have Flamini, Diaby and Denilson as well. Wouldn't make any sense.

Chelsea should let him see out his contract anyway, he was very handy for them last season. Utility players like that are always good to have in a squad that wants to win everything.

 

[No.8_Wright]

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hli ... IARRA+DEAL

This story is gaining pace. Can't see Chelsea selling him to us even though he is in the last yer of his contract. This media talk will definately encourage someone else to make a bid and I think Chelsea would rather sell him anywhere but to the Emirates.

He would be a great squad player but can't see him in our startling 11 or even playing a large amount of games so if he leaves Chelsea for the reasons given I would fail to understand why he would come to us.

 

[lewdikris]

I think it would make sense if we work on the assumption that neither Song nor Flamini are really valid alternatives to Gilberto. Both could be seen to be in the squad merely as default options, with Diaby and Denilson perhaps more in competition for Cesc's spot than Gilberto's.

We lack a top-class back-up for Gilberto, a gritty defensive battler to underpin the classy stuff going on ahead. Diarra was brought to Chelsea to fulfil exactly that role for Makelele - unfortunatley he seems to have been superseded by both Essien and Mikel there, neither of whom are really holding midfielders at all.

The sheer physical power of both those players, plus the physical strength of Lampard, Ballack and Sidwell means its's likely Mourinho won't go with a pure holding player, which is fine ... but we don't really have that power-base. Cesc and Denilson will battle away, whilst Diaby is becoming a bit of a monster, but we can't muscle teams of the pitch.

Diarra would be a great signing from that perspective if Wenger decides neither Song nor Flamini can provide that muscle: he's definitely gritty, aggressive, and basically a bit nasty.

And we could do with some of that!!!