Chelsea Offer Lassana Diarra + Cash for Malouda

By: Inara | June 19th, 2007

LDiarra And word on the street is that Lyon agreed.

Umm.

No.

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!

If this turns out to be true (it was announced on RMC, which doesn’t exactly have a 100% track record for accuracy), I will cry. I do not want Florent Malouda at Chelsea, nor do I want Lassana Diarra at Lyon.

Read my lips, Jean-mimi. This exchange sux!!!!

This deal would be a similar situation to the Essien-Tiago transfer two years back. Chelsea will offer €25m plus Lassana Diarra in exchange for Malouda, though both deals will be worked out separately (how much is L. Diarra worth anyway?).

I’m guessing Malouda really wants to play with his BFF Didier Drogba and hook up with ex-teammate Michael Essien. Because Malouda is one of the hottest properties on the market, with Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Arsenal, and Chelsea all after him, he had his pick of clubs…and for him, Chelsea is the worst of all.

Unless Jose Mourinho is going to change his policy, Chelsea’s stifling style of play is not friendly to wingers. Just ask Arjen Robben. And Shawn-Wright Phillips. And Joe Cole. And Salomon Kalou. I love Malouda and don’t want to see him benched. I want him to go where he’ll become even better.

And getting Lassana Diarra is dumb too. He’s talented and is dubbed “the next Makelele,” but Lyon don’t need him, not even on loan (Fabio Santos isn’t going anywhere). I mean, if the club had to add a midfielder, couldn’t they get one like Ederson or Renato Augusto? L. Diarra will be another defensive mid who will join Benoit Pedretti and Alou Diarra in having their international careers destroyed by Lyon. Diarra won’t get much more playing at the Gerland as he does at Stamford Bridge (he should have gone to PSG instead).

And what is with all the Diarras anyway? Does Aulas seriously think the best way to replace Mahamadou Diarra is to keep buying all the other Diarras in the world?

GRRRRRRRRRRR.

I am not happy (not that my feelings actually matter).

Also on RMC, AC Milan have offered €18m for Tiago. Again, dumb deal. Tiago going to Milan is career suicide. At least he would have been a starter at Juve.

I’m praying that RMC got this all wrong.

Some Related Lyon Posts:

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Thierry

This exchange could be pretty good with a play of two good DM able of offensive play but very strong at defensive play, and will allow juninho more offensif play, but he will don't resolve the weakness of the offensive wings with the left of Wiltord, Malouda and the age of Govou...
Corey

This deal has been declared dead, it was turned down two weeks ago.
Allez Lyonnais

Lyon are a big club. A big club does not rely on doughboys.
MadSear

I'm listenning to RMC as we speak and apparntly Tiago is going to Juventus. Marino Fassiolli from the Lyon staff says that even though we can't say it's done Tiago is already with Juve.
As for fabio Santos, every Lyon fan should just remember
Cacapa's first months.
And apparently, Giuly is practically with Marseille and is going to sign for Three years. I'm giddy like a schoolgirl right now.
Corey

Fabio Santos does not strike me as much of a DM, but i agree with inara about giving him another shot at it. Basically our midfield would look like this
AM-Juninho and Kallstrom
CM-Bodmer and Fabio Santos
DM-Toulalan and Lassana Diarra

I like that, i think its a good starting point. If Fabio Santos is balls like he was last year though we can loan/sell him in january and go after someone else, but i think if his deal goes through the center of the field is all set, except for the possible departures of Diarra and Tiago. They both are gone already to me though, they want out so let them go. Tiago served us well, we can only be happy to let him move on, while Diarra got shafted by Ged but was still a pain in the ass so let good ole Arry deal with him. Also, with Lassana Diarra as a DM backup, since he is young, there is the possibility that some of the youth team players will get a shot. According to ESPNsoccernet.com this is what Lyons roster looks like since the end of the season:
Current Roster
G-Remi Vercoutre G-Johan Hartock G-Gregory Coupet G-Jérémy Aymes G-Alexandre Bouchard

D-Eric Abidal D-Aurélien Brugniaud D-Mourad Benhamida D-Sebastien Squillaci D-Romain Beynie D-Patrick Müller D-Cris DAnthony Reveillere D-Jeremie Berthod D-Francois Clerc

M-Kim Kallstrom M-Jérémy Toulalan M-Mathieu Bodmer MAlou Diarra M-Yachin Hima M-Loosemy Karaboue M-Damien Plessis M-Fábio Santos M-Sylvain Idangar M-Juninho M-Tiago M-Florent Malouda

F-Anthony Mounier F-Jérémy Pied F-Grégory Bettiol F-Abdul Kader Keita F-Loïc Remy F-Sidney Govou F-Milan Baros F-Sylvain Wiltord F-Karim Benzema F-Fred F-Hatem Ben Arfa

There are plenty of promising youth teamers in that roster, including a certain Loosemy Karaboue who i believe is 16, maybe 17. I prefer using youngsters to fill out the squad then buying expensive bench players.
Jo

Why "still sucks" ? Every game he played, he did his job, without a fault ! I don't really understand how U can write he "sucks" ?
He just have to have more consideration and be a starter sometimes, in turn over with Toulalan... And I'm sure everybody will see his qualities.
Laurie

On a related note, I just read an article saying that Inter and Fiorentina are interested in Benzema. There's no possible way Aulas would sell our sweet Karim, is there? Benzema in Italy would shatter my heart.
Laurie

I'm getting all kinds of verification of this one, sad to say -- both the Malouda part and the L. Diarra part. (Because what would OL be without a Diarra on the roster?)
Jo

Fabio Santos wil be a GREAT DM. And more than a DM, a creator. Believe me.
Allez Lyonnais

Bodmer is replacing Tiago so he won't get to spend much time in the holding role. As for Fabio Santos, let's just pretend he's not there. :)
Laurie

This sucks.

That is all.
Allez Lyonnais

It's obvious that we're bringing him in as a substitute for Toulalan. Competition will be stiff and he's gonna have to work very hard to carve out himself a starting position.
Jo

I think Lassana is a VERRRRYYYYY GOOD player... But... Why another DM ??? I agree with Inara, it's a bit strange !
Do somebody will leave ? A departure that we still don't know ?
Corey

If the deal goes through it would be a good one, because Alou Diarra is leaving for sure, so we need another DM. If Tiago leaves then even more in need of a central player. Tha fact is, he is a strong canidate fot stardom, if dumbass of the decade Domenech sees something in him he must have potential because Domenech rarely picks new players. Career killers for Malouda and Tiago, I think so, Arsenal and Juve would be much more suitable for the two. But we have to think about whats good for Lyon, and 30 mill and a promising DM/RB/CM/CB utility man is good for Lyon.
Matthew

I wanted Malouda to go to Arsenal.
Chris

Diarra played a lot as a RB last year and sporadically elsewhere on the D line. Don't doubt him, he's very very good and I was impressed by his sneaky defensive ability last year. You'll be singing his praises next year. If not, I'm sure Aulas can turn him in to 15m or so.

I guess this means I have to fly to Rome to chain Mancini to the Olimpico before Rafa Benitez gets there.
Allez Lyonnais

Lassana isn't a starting member at Chelsea either, so what's the harm? And I'm glad that we're not gonna see Fabio Santos anymore.