Diarra is back on the radar of the Premier League’s big boys.
Ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra has emerged as a January transfer target for Premier League duo Arsenal and Manchester City, according to the Daily Express.
The 28-year-old is now at Lokomotiv Moscow having joined from fellow Russian top tier side Anzhi Makhachkala in the summer, when the club came upon financial difficulties.
Diarra is known to the Gunners having spent a brief five-month spell with the north London club in the 2007/08 season, before moving onto Portsmouth and then Madrid.
The journeyman is settled in Russia, but could be tempted by a return to England – although both AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with the France international in recent times.
The only thing that may deter both Arsene Wenger and City however is the high wage demands of Diarra, who is earning around £65,000-a-week tax free with Lokomotiv, excluding bonuses.
Although money is not a huge issue with either English side, it’s whether the Frenchman’s talent warrants such a high outlay.
Diarra played just 12 matches at the Emirates Stadium last time around, but since then has developed into a much more confident player.
With Los Blancos the defensive midfielder featured in 116 games and won the Copa Del Rey and La Liga title during three years with the Spanish giants.
Diarra’s current contract expires in 2016 and it’s likely the midfield ace would set any interested suitor back upwards of £10m.
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