Source: Telegraph
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp lines up Lassana Diarra swoop
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp signed Diarra for £5.5 million in January 2008 while in charge at Portsmouth and has never hidden his admiration for the French international.[LNB]Redknapp has made little secret of his eagerness to add more steel to his midfield, having failed to persuade West Ham to relinquish Scott Parker, and the manager sees Diarra as an ideal fit for White Hart Lane.[LNB] Related ArticlesWilliam Gallas completes Tottenham moveSpurs complete signing of William GallasStoke City 1 Tottenham 2Redknapp: Spurs signing Gallas 'a no-brainer'So why all the goals?Paper View: William Gallas has dig at ArsenalThe 25 year-old has been made available for transfer by Real, whose new manager, Jose Mourinho, is under pressure to reduce his squad to 25 senior players to comply with new Uefa regulations.[LNB]Diarra is already well acquainted with the Premier League. He began his career in England with Chelsea, where he played under Mourinho, but was then sold to Arsenal.[LNB]Tottenham made an attempt to buy him in January 2008, only for Arsenal to refuse to sell to their near neighbours.[LNB]Diarra would be the second former Arsenal player to move to Tottenham in the space of a week, after William Gallas joined on a free transfer, and the veteran centre-half has admitted he was torn over whether to make the move across the capital.[LNB]'It was not an easy decision but I will give my best,' he said. 'Finishing fourth last season shows Spurs have improved a lot and I hope this season we are going to finish even higher, maybe even win the Premier League.'[LNB]Meanwhile, Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara will have surgery on Thursday on a stress fracture in his back.[LNB]
