Liverpool have reportedly been offered Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra, according to Sky Sports.
Liverpool signed Christian Poulsen from Juventus in a £4.5m deal earlier this month, but manager Roy Hodgson said that the Dane wasn’t a replacement for Javier Mascherano, who he, at the time Poulsen was signed, expected to stay.
However, with Mascherano doing his best to engineer a move away from Anfield and Barcelona and Inter Milan both making a run at the Argentina captain, Liverpool could be in the market to add another defensive midfielder, and one option could be Mali captain Diarra.
After stints at Greek side OFI Crete and Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, Diarra really made a name for himself after arriving at Lyon in 2002. He played a key role in helping the French giants win four of their seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles, before departing for Real in a €26m deal in August 2006.
The 29-year-old was a first-team regular in his first two seasons at Real, but knee surgery ended his season in November. Last season, he started only four times in 15 La Liga appearances, and the signing of Germany international Sami Khedira from VfB Stuttgart only creates further congestion in an already crowded midfield.
If its true then Liverpool should sign him…Mamadou was a coveted gem alongside Essien back at the then formidable Lyon team…even in Madrid he was one of the strong performers when he was fit and playing…i felt even Gago and Lass,when brought in,did not matched him in terms of performance but ultimately his injury and the arrival of Alonso did him in…but i’d say if the price is right and if Liverpool would want to take a gamble on his fitness,they might just get a very good bargain out of him…sorry if i sound pro Mamadou but seriously the guy was just a quiet,strong and assured player to have in the defensive midfield position…