Portsmouth to fight Bayern for Diarra?
Portsmouth could add another expensive midfield star to their squad
after reports Alou Diarra wants to quit French champions Lyon - now
managed by former Pompey boss Alain Perrin.
Harry Redknapp, who replaced Perrin at Fratton Park when he
returned from an ill-fated spell at Southampton in December 2005,
has recently splashed a club-record £7million fee on Ghana
midfielder Sulley Muntari.
And he would have to pay close to £5million for Frenchman Diarra,
who is thought to have become disillusioned at Lyon since former
Liverpool chief Gerard Houllier quit two weeks ago.
Bayern Munich are also thought to be interested in Diarra, 25, but
Redknapp, who was scouting in France at the weekend, has confirmed:
'He has the type of presence in midfield I like.'
Redknapp admits he is also interested in Rennes' £4.5million-rated
Nigeria striker John Utaka - and could need him to replace
compatriot Kanu who insists on holding out for a straight two-year
new contract at Portsmouth which the club will not offer.
Kanu, who scored 12 goals last season - but none since February
after arriving last summer on a free transfer from West Brom, has
been offered a new one-year deal, with an option for a second year
if he makes 25-plus appearances next season.
But the 30-year-old is adamant he will only settle for two years
without strings - even though Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie
has told him he has had the club's final offer.
Meanwhile Redknapp has denied any knowledge of a reported Marseille
interest in Pompey's previous record signing £4.4 million Benjani
Mwaruwari. Redknapp is now making a new striker his priority having
signed defenders Sylvain Distin from Manchester City and Hermann
Hreidarsson from Charlton.
He admitted: 'People are going to pay fortunes for goalscorers but
if you haven't got them you won't win matches in the
Premiership.'
Redknapp admits missing out on Mark Viduka, who left Middlesbrough
on a free for Newcastle, and fears Boro will want 'too much' for
Ayegbeni Yakubu, the former Pompey striker who is said to be
unsettled at the Riverside.