Diarra to Real for 20 million pounds?

[SOBRIQUET]

Apparently Pompey have accepted close to 20 million pounds for Diarra from Real madrid.  Have they lost their mind? I mean, the man decent, but 20 milli? The Pompey board must be extatic, after paying 5 mill for him a little over a year ago!

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_4657156,00.html

[Mango Chow!]

Apparently Pompey have accepted close to 20 million pounds for Diarra from Real madrid.  Have they lost their mind? I mean, the man decent, but 20 milli? The Pompey board must be extatic, after paying 5 mill for him a little over a year ago!

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_4657156,00.html

    He is even more decent with more decent players around him.  He have very good skill, can be a creative force with RM and he does let loose wit some seeeerious blade!! I agree wit yuh dat he still eh worth 20M quid, though....

[JDB]

This Diarra scene is something else.

First Chelsea let him go to a direct rival in Arsenal and then Arsenal let him go less than half a year later because he complaining for time. No loan, straight transfer.

Flamini buss it on them and now Arsenal would kill for a player like Diarra but he going Madrid for big money.

I read somewhere else that the money is 9M. Probably 9M with add-ons based on appearances considering that he is currently injured and is viewed as a replacement for Madrid's current Diarra.

[kicker]

Good player...

One Diarra out (injured), another one in.

[dinho]

Very, very good player...

Was a kinda hard luck that he never get a fair crack at Chelsea being behind Makalele and Essien in the pecking order, but he was even holding down the right back position with real comfort at a point in time.

Wenger signed him on the promise of playing time but was benching him steady for Flamini and Gilberto so (as the French normally do), he screw on that.

My only criticism of him is that he knows he is good so tries to do too much at times with the ball when a more simple approach would be better, but he have some Makalele potential.

[acb]

Wonder who'll spend more in January - Real or Man City.
First blow goes to Real.

[Toppa]

Wonder who'll spend more in January - Real or Man City.
First blow goes to Real.

Cos we're rich, b!tch! 

[GunnerStunner]

Good player...

One Diarra out (injured), another one in.

arsenal shoulda kept him a lil longer and sold him to real, another disposable player to a club riding on prestige

[Toppa]

Good player...

One Diarra out (injured), another one in.

arsenal shoulda kept him a lil longer and sold him to real, another disposable player to a club riding on prestige

Hi hater. 

[kicker]

Good player...

One Diarra out (injured), another one in.

arsenal shoulda kept him a lil longer and sold him to real, another disposable player to a club riding on prestige

Dem grapes kinda sour eh...but anyways

We ridin' on trophies my friend.... When you win some you'll earn the perks and appreciate the joy...lol

[Ngozi]

I rate him highly ....... hard to find a defensive mid with them kinda touches and the work rate ... I wish him well

[Bianconeri]

see a bit of him...
but 20mil?!?! WAY too much

i would expect that from a english club to drop that kinda money.....Diarra eh no star yet as to call that kinda fee...
that real high!
clubs eh hear bout the economic downturn too awha?

[pompey_researcher]

Hes a fantastic player and him playing in a slower league will make him look even better.

[andre samuel]

20 million is alot, but say what, if yuh have it and yuh want de player, then spend it and get him.

I have a question though, how does this player compare to Hyland.  I always thought that Harry Redknap wanted Hyland because he thought he could have moulded him into another Diarra.

Any thoughts?

[Filho]

Hes a fantastic player and him playing in a slower league will make him look even better.

not necessarily. some players are better suited to the EPL than La Liga. The speed of the EPL is one factor that some players struggle with and others excel. La Liga has it's own characteristics that some players may struggle with early on. However, Diarra is technically gifted and an intelligent player imo..he should do well in any league.

[Filho]

Guess Ronaldo will be joining him soon

De saga ent done.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=603172&sec=england&cc=5901

Cristiano Ronaldo will sign for Real Madrid in the summer according to a director of the Spanish giants.

Newspaper El Mundo is quoting director Pedro Trapote as saying Real already have a deal in place but cannot announce it officially.

President Ramon Calderon had stated after last summer's protracted transfer saga that Real would end their long quest to pinch the player from Manchester United so as not to make an enemy of the European champions.

Sir Alex Ferguson did little to hide his disgust at Real's conduct and is bound to be more than agitated by a resurfacing of the Ronaldo rumour-mongering.

El Mundo report that after Madrid's loss at Barcelona Trapote mentioned the news in a recorded conversation, though it is not known whether it was meant to become public knowledge.

"If you are asking me what we are going to do now then I would tell you that we have already signed the best player for the summer," Trapote is quoted as saying.

"Are you talking about Cristiano?" was the reply.

"The best of the best. It is Cristiano, there is no other. It is better that we do not say anything at the moment though.

"Why can you not say anything. It is the best time because things are going badly and people need something to excite them in the middle of all this.

Trapote replied: "No, it is best to not say anything because there are some clauses that prevent us from announcing it now."

[sammy]

Lassana Diarra has not yet sealed a move to Real Madrid and admitted "anything could happen" as Manchester City seek to hijack the move.

Madrid had an offer for the Portsmouth midfielder accepted on Wednesday, but City boss Mark Hughes later said he was still interested in trying to reach a deal.

Speaking to the Spanish media, Diarra, 23, expects to make an announcement on his future in the next few days, but offered few hints about which club he might join.

"I cannot talk. I don't want to. They are calling me from England and France, but I will talk inside a few days," Diarra told AS.

Asked whether he would prefer Madrid to Manchester, Diarra said: "I will not say anything. Football is complicated and anything could happen."

He added in Marca: "I cannot say anything, really. You have to respect me.

"I will talk inside a few days, now I cannot say anything.

"I cannot talk. I hope my future will be settled in the next few days, soon. This is the only thing I can say."

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/8968514/City-try-to-hijack-Diarra-transfer

[g]

he talking a lot for someone who cannot talk 

[jai john]

Wonder who'll spend more in January - Real or Man City.
First blow goes to Real.

Cos we're rich, b!tch! 

Yeah but allyuh eh hear bout de world recession ? Money kyah buy titles you know. de amount a big buys Real Madrid have sitting down on de bench already , can they really afford another ? 20 million ...based on what again ?

[Toppa]

Wonder who'll spend more in January - Real or Man City.
First blow goes to Real.

Cos we're rich, b!tch! 

Yeah but allyuh eh hear bout de world recession ? Money kyah buy titles you know. de amount a big buys Real Madrid have sitting down on de bench already , can they really afford another ? 20 million ...based on what again ?

How much buys we have sitting on the bench? Yuh mean lying down in sick bay!

Look Metzelder geh he nose break today and Van der Vart geh injured too.

[SOBRIQUET]

Its official!.............madness.............

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=604655&sec=europe&cc=5901

[Filho]

Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita: Barca
Mahamadou Diarra: Real Madrid
Ndri Romaric: Sevilla
Mohamed Sissoko: Juventus
Sulley Muntari: Inter
Essien and Mikel: Chelsea
Alexandre Song: Arsenal

Now Zokora at Real Madrid? More and more Africans (my list only includes those born and raised in an African nation or those who've chosen to represent an African nation..so no Lassana Diarra for example) are joining the list of elite clubs as defensive midfielders. Now, that's probably as insightful (read meaningless) as looking at the defensive midfielders coming from Europe, or Latin America. After all Africa is not a country. But given global stereotypes, I think it's something very positive and worth a small mention. In the not so distant past, Africans and black footballers in general were mostly valued for speed, flair and a dislike for the cold and getting 'stuck in'. So it's cool to see more Africans being considered the best at a position that requires absolute discipline, efficiency and hard graft. Now for other ethnic steroetypes to start falling in the sport.....anybody say Indian football star

respeck

Ramos: Praised former player at Spurs.
The Ivory Coast international was pinpointed by new Real boss Juande Ramos, the man who brought Zokora to Spurs, as the type of player he would like at the Bernabeu.

Zokora told the Daily Express: "It's fantastic to be associated with Real Madrid as they are one of the biggest club sides in the world - show me the player who would not want to be linked with them.

"But I'm very happy here at Spurs and in England. I love England and the English people. My team is doing much better under Harry Redknapp and I am enjoying every minute of it. For me, this is a win-win situation. I cannot lose.

"I love playing for Spurs, but to be associated with Real Madrid is, of course, very flattering."

Ramos' time at White Hart Lane was largely unsuccessful, last season's Carling Cup victory aside, but Zokora remains a fan of the Spaniard.

He continued: "I was upset when Juande Ramos left because he gave me a chance in English football and for that I'll be forever grateful.

"I was nervous about what would happen next, but as soon as Harry came here things have just got better and better.

"Harry has a very English way whereas Ramos had a Spanish way of dealing with things. Both of them are very good, but we are at an English club so maybe the English way is the correct one."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=604854&sec=england&cc=5901