Lass Diarra completes a 23 players squad

Real Madrid finished drawing up the template, just in time, with the outs of Gago, Drenthe and Pedro Leon, confirmed the last day. Lass will finally play for the white team. He becomes the Mourinho's player number 23. The coach thought the French player was important since the beginning, but it was the player who wants to participate more minutes, asked to leave the team and not to travel to American Tour with the team for preseason training.

Lass Diarra will play for Real Madrid this season

The midfielder (26), who cost to Real Madrid 20 million euros in December 2008, has been sought by many teams in Europe, including Milan, Galatasaray, Manchester City, Fenerbahce, Roma and the best of France. But Tottenham Hotspur was the team that came closest, having reached an agreement to sign him for 12 million euros. Lass himself broke the operation, as the English club did not equal his salary at Real Madrid: 3.8 million euros per season. He stays because did not find another option. And even last Tuesday, was offered by his agent to Malaga, but the operation was declined.

Now, Lass will have to work hard to catch up with the rest of the template. He has done little preseason. He remained in Madrid training with the discarded players. He wanted to saty with the excuse of dealing with others teams. And the club allowed him aware that he was leaving. Even the night that Real Madrid palyed the Bernabeu Trophy, for example, he flew to Nice to see his brother, althought the next day there was a training session, and he was called up. Yesterday, when it was known that he stays, he worked with the group for the first time. He will change his number 10 by the 23 because Özil must keep 10 with which the German was inscribed on the Spanish Super Cup.

Lass was an important player for Mourinhoin the second half of last season. He started 12 of the last 18 days (only seven within the first 18), was also starter in the semifinal round in the Champions League against Barcelona. But this summer, the French did not trust the minutes he could have in the future. His relationship with Mourinho has been uneven. In the first half of the season, upset by not playing and suffering mysterious injuries. Then, Mourinho was not interest in him despite the player was recovered.

Lass Diarra to play for Tottenham Hotspurs

Lass Diarra is one step from becoming a player of Tottenham Hotspurs, as was announced by the BBC. The agreement by the French, 26 years old, would be close to 11.5 million euros. Real Madrid, on the recommendation of the coach Juande Ramos, paid for him 20 millions in the winter market of the season 2008-2009.

Diarra and Adebayor could play for Tottenham Hotspurs

Real Madrid has been forced to sell him, although Mourinho wanted the player in the template, because the French do not admit his status as bench player. For this reason, Lass Diarra trained outside the team throughout the preseason, did not travel to American and Asian tours and has not play a single minute on a match. He also lost his number 10, the Mesut Özil's new number.

In two and a half years, the player's performance in Madrid has been uneven. He played 89 games and scored one goal. Khedira's arrival last summer sentenced him to the bench. Now, Sahin and Coentrao will close further the road to the starting line up.

Lass has opted for the London club because his ambition is to return to the Premier League. Even he is willing to lower his wage by 20 percent, as is said in the Britain islands. Harry Redknapp, the Spurs coach, spoke with the player to convince him. The veteran coach was his manager at Portsmouth, the best experience of French midfielder in England where formed a tandem that gave to the modest club the FA Cup 2008.

If he eventually signs for Tottenham, Lass could meet his former teammate Emmanuel Adebayor, who also negotiated his departure from Manchester City in the direction of White Hart Lane.

Squad: Lass Diarra (23)

Lass Diarra

Determined to become a football player, he joined Nantes' youth system as a child and later landed at Le Mans, with whom he played in the French Second Division. The most recent French side he played for was Le Havre (2003-05).

Chelsea took interest in Lass and signed him in 2005, making him the youngest player in club history. He won the Premiership and a Carling Cup with the Blues. He later moved to Arsenal, where he remained only half a season before joining Portsmouth, where he would immediately see more playing time and become one of the top players in the Premiership.

Diarra is strong, solid in defence and covers a large part of the pitch. He is excellent in the aerial game despite not being too tall and he is capable of scoring goals from a distance thanks to a powerful shot. His versatility allows him to play both as a midfielder and as a right back.

Data

• Place of Birth: Paris, France
• Date of Birth: 03/10/1986
• Position: Midfielder
• Weight: 73 kg
• Height: 172.2 cm
• Nationality: French

Honours

• Copa del Rey: 2011
• Carling Cup: 2007
• FA Cup: 2007, 2008