Portsmouth could add another expensive midfield star to their squad after
reports Alou Diarra wants to quit French champions Lyon - now managed by former Pompey boss Alain Perrin.
Harry Redknapp, who replaced Perrin at Fratton Park when he returned from an
ill-fated spell at Southampton in December 2005, has recently splashed a
club-record £7million fee on Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari.
And he would have to pay close to £5million for Frenchman Diarra, who is
thought to have become disillusioned at Lyon since former Liverpool chief Gerard
Houllier quit two weeks ago.
Bayern Munich are also thought to be interested in Diarra, 25, but Redknapp,
who was scouting in France at the weekend, has confirmed: 'He has the type of
presence in midfield I like.'
Redknapp admits he is also interested in Rennes' £4.5million-rated Nigeria
striker John Utaka - and could need him to replace compatriot Kanu who insists
on holding out for a straight two-year new contract at Portsmouth which the club
will not offer.
Kanu, who scored 12 goals last season - but none since February after arriving
last summer on a free transfer from West Brom, has been offered a new one-year
deal, with an option for a second year if he makes 25-plus appearances next
season.
But the 30-year-old is adamant he will only settle for two years without
strings - even though Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie has told him he has
had the club's final offer.
Meanwhile Redknapp has denied any knowledge of a reported Marseille interest
in Pompey's previous record signing £4.4 million Benjani Mwaruwari. Redknapp is
now making a new striker his priority having signed defenders Sylvain Distin
from Manchester City and Hermann Hreidarsson from Charlton.
He admitted: 'People are going to pay fortunes for goalscorers but if you
haven't got them you won't win matches in the Premiership.'
Redknapp admits missing out on Mark Viduka, who left Middlesbrough on a free
for Newcastle, and fears Boro will want 'too much' for Ayegbeni Yakubu, the
former Pompey striker who is said to be unsettled at the Riverside.
