Alex Ferguson plots new £20m Lassana Diarra raid
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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.