Portsmouth News 24/7Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Wednesday January 16 2008
Time: 11:47AM
UK time is: 21:22:42
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Diarra a done deal
I had been told early this morning that the Lassana Diarra deal had all but been completed, with an announcement on his arrival set to be made on Friday, if not before - now sky sports are reporting that a deal has been done.
The 'reports' are that a fee - around £5m - has been agreed with Arsenal, a medical passed and terms agreed so his signing on a 3 and a half year contract will indeed by announced later this week and his debut could come against Derby at Fratton Park this weekend.
This is a fantastic signing and my thinking is that it makes a statement, as many would have thought we were not 'big enough' for him, but once officially confirmed this will prove otherwise - all we need now is a striker to arrive then we will be laughing...
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Your Comments
Defoe for 8 million?
cockeril
Great buy. He has only started 4 times for the Gooners but looked fantastic at Blackburn. I think he will be one HR has to work on controlling but a player in the French national team shows our intent. Yep Rug striker next.
eastneydave
Pleased with this one. For all our African muscle, we need a bit a class & hopefully he will provide.
storagematt
and who brought it to you first - vital pompey ;-) the place to be... fantastic signing, real improvement in quality and a sign of intent - others will look at this move in a positive way, and it will only benefit us with him playing, but could also help sway more to follow...
pompeyrug
I said it on VitalArse, if anyone can change a players attitude it's Harry. It's a brilliant signing and should force the best out of Diop and hopefully release the pressure on Muntari. What it does for the future of Mendes/Davis/Hughes is another matter though…?
stillthewhizz
sounds good to me!!! lookin forward to see if he can put pressure on the Africans!..well donee on the exclusitivity Rug! :)
CharlieChimes
I little birdy tells me that announcement is being delayed to allow more than one player to be introduced possibly at HRs regular Friday Press Conference.
eastneydave
As to the future on Mendes/DAvis/Hughes I think Davis will be fine but I do fear for Mendes a great player with so much time on the ball BUT he has not shown any consistency since his injuries. He is a legend because of that goal and it would be a great shame to lose him. Hughsie? not sure great squad player but he wants to play regular first team football- probably in the Championship at a guess.
eastneydave
A great buy by Harry but I've a feeling that he'll have to be playing to be kept motivated and happy.. so which of the regular 'first choice' midfielders is going to move over .. Utaka, Diop, Muntari, Davis, Kranjcar... umm saying it's the end of Hushes and probably/possibility Mendes is one thing ...but where is this guy gonna fit when all are fit ?...
Chix
2 different people on Sky Sports Transfer window gossip have both said Defoe has been seen at Pompey. I wonder . . .
tracyc
HR,s new line up. 0-11-0. Stillthewhizz you are right HR can change a players attitude, just look at Taylor. As for Defoe, did anyone see him dumping his fiancee on TV last week when she was in the process of buying a new £2million holiday home in Majorca. I think we need stability!!!
007
You never know we might go to a 3-6-1 formation and keep them all??. interesting situation in all seriousness. I reckon Muntari will give way to Diarra in the 5 across the middle that you say Chix, and it will then be hard for anyone else to break into the side. Bigger problem is if we sign someone like Defoe, as he will expect to play each week so that leads us to a 4-4-2 as Harry will want to also play Benji or Kanu as well. Then who goes across the middle?? Still nice problem to have in a way having the strength in depth, but keeping the non starters happy is going to be a big challenge for Harry
blarmy
great signing, I think think diop should be the man out, the midfield situation needs to cleared up, there are way too many (soon to be unhappy) central midfielders. Get rid of them to finance more moves! Does anyone know if diarra can play on the right potentially??
whitestones
the midfield has lacked cretivity, especially at home - and ith diops awfull shooting, i think he is the only player i can find any fault with (im not saying he is bad, its just the other two are immence!!!)
pompeycarpet
Apparantly it's not a done deal yet according to Radio Solent 4.20pm.
However it could be within the next 48 hours.
Enough time for him to be made a better offer by someone else?
storagematt
certainly enough time - but in the past, when clubs have come in at the last munute, they have not necercerily got the player (e.g. distin - liverpool). i think we will get him
pompeycarpet
Yep Defoe was at Fratton Park, it was Mickey Defoe the window cleaner who lives in Frogmore Road!!
Diarra is nothing different to what we already have, and he is not the goalscorer we so desperately need.
Owenspompey
But Diarra's signing could tempt others to follow; who's for Steve Sidwell?
UKTony
not convinced we need him - but i wouldnt complain!
pompeycarpet
eastneydave re your multiple signings comment i was in germany again today and their satelite tv said the same thing. It further ventured that the club were looking to make an impact and new buzz about the team following the recent travails. This is something the club has done before, so i think there is some credibility to that point of view
russellm
re the existing midfield, although I don't share the adoration for the swiping headless chicken...i know, i know i'm on my own about this but i dont care.. i am sad to say Davis will be staying. I am also sad to say i think classey Pedro will be on his way, i thought he was the best player against sunderland and finally showed some signs of being the busy player he formally was but clearly those assaults on him did affect his game. I have said it before, (i think i may have disagreed with TheRabbi on this subject) i do not think Hughes is good enough, he always has a good game as the play breaker against either liverpool, manu or the arse but otherwise
he is a journeyman and not up to the speed of our game perhapse i'm being harsh and i think he should go.
russellm
Pompey do seem to sign players in flurries, if Diarra is on board then who may follow? Defoe rumours have been around since Easter 2 years ago, I done a F.A coaching course with a Lad from Pompey youth academy and he was full of how Pompey were on the verge of getting him then, maybe the time has come?
paultsmouth
russellm - hughes is a great play breakerupper (great word that!) and a great squad player. every team needs some players that, although they cant play every game, can come in, and do a good job when they are needed. I know that he isnt of the same standard as muntari and kranjcar - but you wouldnt be able to keep someone of there quaklity as just a squad player. we need o keep him!!! although i didnt see him on saturday, i dont think mendes has played at his best since the thatcher incedant - and maybe a move would be the right thing for him as a player - but for us, it would be awfull to have yyet another midfielder leave!
pompeycarpet
although I think we can safely get rid of hughes and not miss him I can see why we may keep him, when he comes on he does reasonably well, he never complains and he is consistent. Besides, selling him wouldnt get much revenue where as selling mendes would (even tho I think he is a better player)
whitestones
pompeycarpet Hughsey cant, he has one maybe two odd good "breaKerupper" games and that is it, i think we will be getting more midfield someone will go, i agree totally with whitestones i suspect it will be mendes and probably back to portugal or spain where he is much admired and oft linked.
russellm
News just came over- sounds like The Great david Bowie on 5 years on the eternal "Ziggy" album, any way ..Birmingham have agreed a deal with Everton for McFaddon s i would say that with Fred coming in at Spurs Defoe will definitely be leaving...but for Everton.
Though i like the idea of him at a press conferance on friday. I agree with russellm- Davis is a headless chicken
plymouth graham
I am quite amazed at Storrie criticising players for criticising the squad size and ambition. he is spouting about how great our squad is when harry is on clearly the same page as the players. It is abundantly clear to all of us except Storrie that the squad quality depth whilst not bad also aint good. We must accept that a budget should be kept to, but there is no point storrie bitchjing "pompey have spent the most ever this season" if the squad is not good enough, it is still not enough. My other thought on this is the club & harry promised Sol and Distin more quality through out the squad and have not really delivered. We all recall what happened to last season when we failed to invest in january. Sol needs cover and a rest and all the other stuff well that's just a sorry Storrie.
russellm
one look at our subs bench for the game against sunderland will telly you exactly how much depth we have in our squad. lots of defenders - but not a lot else! we need more midfielders, and we need more forwards - to deny it is to say that havant are going to win the FA Cup...its just not gonna happen...
pompeycarpet
sorry, i mean, its just not true
pompeycarpet
hurrah for plymouth graham !!!! although you are of course aware that headless will be his deviuos self and score a few and play out of his swiping skin. TBH Graham , i wouldnt have minded McF coming to us. I was surprised he was sold, anyway off to watch harry and Sulley on the ITV sandbanks program
russellm
fuq it's finished *##*+#*
russellm
I'm surprised we didnt jump in there and bid for mcfadden, I think he would be just as good as defoe and 5 million cheaper.
whitestones
Haven't watched him play but from all reports this Diarra kid sounds like a decent signing. I'm a little concerned that he's a defensive midfielder though...thought we already had a surplus of them. As someone said above, what we need is some offensive creativity in the middle of the park (more so than another striker in my view, especially if that strker be Defoe, whom I don't honestly rate that highly). Is Sidwell the answer ? Dunno but likely not.
Toronto4Pompey
Q: Will Davis even get a look once Diop & co are back ?...sounds like Arry promised Lassan regular first team football so he gets his chance at the France '08 squad. Pity eh Russ ?!
Toronto4Pompey
One more blurb at 11pm EST...why are so many people high on Defoe ?...kid seems to sulk a whole lot and be really streaky. There's gotta be a more reliable way to spend 9 million pounds.
Toronto4Pompey
Has anyone questioned his wage demands as a stumbling block?
I would be very suprised if Pompey are going to meet the 57,000 a week he is asking. If so this is going to inspire a few wage rise demands from your existing players surely.
TergeHauge
We do not want Defoe, he will not help changing room spirit. I cannot understand the applause HR gets for his transfer signings. £25million spent in the summer, and what have we got? Muntari sometimes and thats it.
007
On eastneydave's poll who is Pedersen? Morten Gamst? He's class… It definitely won't be D'Alessandro - 100%.
stillthewhizz
yep it is the blackburn pedersen... a few 'rumours' that he could be signed if/when matty taylor goes...
pompeyrug
007 - Have to disagree regarding the 25 mil comment. Utaka for starters, the goal against Bolton at the start of the season showed the pace and quality that he's got. OK since then he's been relatively quiet but it's still his first season in the premiership, as for Muntari. Diop's a solid player and without those 3 at Sunderland we had nothing to offer across the middle apart from the odd flash of Mendes. Harry admitted Nugent was a gamble but again he needs time (and starts) and Glen Johnson has looked superb at times going forward and is getting better in defence.
Let's not forget Perrin's squad which comrpised stars such as Chalky, Karadas and Collins Mbesuma. Harry's built the current side from pretty much scratch and I for one applaud him for it.
Anyway, just hope another striker comes in before Feb!
pompeyjim
creativity, creativity, creativity - the 3 things we need at the moment! Utaka and muntari are having a great first season in the premiership, and although defoe has been under par of late, i am sure he will improve. nugent was a gamble - but for the gamble to pay off, we need to be patient, which i am confident we will be.
pompeycarpet
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