Premier League Transfers: 15 Most Successful January Signings
6. Lassana Diarra - Arsenal To Portsmouth
Fee:£5.5 million, January 2008. If you look hard enough in Russian football, you will find a 58 midfielder who Real Madrid once paid £20 million for. That man is Lassana Diarra, who has become something of a forgotten man. After fruitless spells at Chelsea and Arsenal, Diarra moved to Harry Redknapps Portsmouth in January 2008 for £5.5 million, and despite those frustrating spells elsewhere in England, Diarra finished his first six months at Pompey in the France squad for Euro 2008 and as an FA Cup winner. The next season Diarra also went on to score Portsmouths first ever goal in European competition in a match against Vitória Guimarães, assuring his place in the Pompey history books. The midfielders move to Portsmouth kick-started his career and his performances were enough to tempt Real Madrid just a year later. The £18 million fee means Portsmouth made over £14 million of profit on Diarra within a year.
