Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke has admitted they fear
losing Lassana Diarra to rivals Arsenal.
As revealed by skysports.com last month, Diarra is seeking a move
away from Chelsea and has his heart set on a switch to
Arsenal.
The French international is unhappy with his lack of first-team
action at Chelsea and is believed to have informed the club he
wants to move on.
However, Clarke does not want to see the versatile star leave and
has moved to try and reassure him he will get more first-team
opportunities this season.
Concern
"Lassana came in last season and started nine or 10 games and that
is good going for a young player at a club like Chelsea," Clarke
told The Sun.
"Last January he came to me and spoke about his need to get more
playing time. After that, he came in to the team and did very
well.
"But we don't want to lose players to one of our rivals.
"Last year William Gallas joined Arsenal, but that was because we
were getting Ashley Cole in the deal."
New deal
Meanwhile, Claude Makelele is reported to have agreed a new
one-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman's future has been the subject of intense speculation
all summer with a number of clubs thought to be keen on signing
him.
Makelele was originally holding out for a two-year deal, but the
experienced midfielder is believed to have agreed a compromise of a
12-month extension.
Clarke insists the defensive midfielder still has a big part to
play in Jose Mourinho's plans.
"I never once heard Maka say he wanted to go," added Clarke.
"He's been a great player for us and has an important part to play
here."