MANCHESTER UNITED are ready to make a renewed
attempt to bring Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra back to the
Premier League in January.
But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will face
competition from today’s opponents Liverpool, and also Tottenham,
for the £20 million-rated star.
The versatile France player, who left Portsmouth
for Real Madrid in a £20m deal last December after spells at
Chelsea and Arsenal, has slipped down the pecking order at The
Bernabeu after Jose Mourinho signed German World Cup star Sami
Khedira from Stuttgart in the summer.
People Sport understands Ferguson tried to sign Diarra then, but although he
has a good relationship with Mourinho the former Chelsea and Inter
Milan boss blocked the move.
But sources close to Diarra say he could force
the issue and demand a transfer in January – with Ferguson again
set to try and get his man.
Diarra, reportedly on £135,000-a-week at Madrid,
is also a target for Kop boss Roy Hodgson. He needs a replacement
for Javier Mascherano, bought by Barcelona for £22m in the
summer.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is also a keen admirer
of hard-grafting Diarra after signing him for Portsmouth from
Arsenal for £5.5m in 2008. Though Redknapp has just signed Holland
midfielder Rafael van der Vaart for £8m and also has Wilson
Palacios as his midfielder enforcer.
The move would be less complicated for Ferguson,
who has funds to spend and would be able to match Diarra’s wages
more easily than cash-strapped Liverpool.