With Liverpool almost instantly managing to sign a replacement for their former Argentine player Javier Mascherano, it has left the field wide open for Tottenham Hotspurs to sign Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, also believed to be a target of Hodgson.
The Merseysiders previously made an inquiry for the 25 year old Real Madrid midfielder, but with Meireles on-board now Harry Redknapp can rest assured Hodgson’s priorities have changed as the Liverpool gaffer is seeking the signature of a quality striker before the end of August.
Liverpool are also believed to be on the verge of closing a deal for Fulham left back Paul Konchesky, which means the funds from the Mascherano sale will be fully reinvested already, and no cash will be available for the Reds to splash on a Diarra deal.
Spurs also continue to monitor Diarra’s situation although manager Harry Redknapp is worried about his wage demands of £80,000 a week. However, as Mourinho made it clear to Diarra the player is deemed a ‘surplus to the Portuguese needs’ and is available on the market for just £9m, a price Redknapp would be most happy to pay.
That or Spurs will want to sign Diarra on loan for the season, in order to see how he does especially in their Champions League campaign and decide on a permanent deal by the end of the season.
Carlo Cudicini, the Spurs keeper who had played alongside Diarra at Stamford Bridge under Mourinho before says: “He was quite young when he was at Chelsea and then played for Arsenal and Real Madrid. He is definitely a great player. This club has some great players but it’s up to the manager if he wants to bring in some new ones.
“The season could definitely bring good things. We are going to be in the Champions League and that is a massive achievement for this club. For us, it’s the first time we are going to be there. We need to enjoy it. The team has great quality.”
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