Diarra, Marseille to part ways

Posted Thursday, May 26, 2016 by Foxsports.com

Lassana Diarra has confirmed that he will be leaving Olympique Marseille this summer on a free transfer, despite having three years remaining on his contract.

The France midfielder, who has shown significant improvement since arriving at OM, referred to a "gentleman's agreement" between himself and club president Vincent Labrune, when stating his intention to move on.

"I'm free," the player told Ligue1.com. "I had an agreement with the president, and it was mutually beneficial, with a clause stating that if we didn't qualify for Europe, I would be able to leave the club if I wanted to."

The former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder was one of the few Marseille players to perform well in a season that saw the club end in 13th place in the Ligue 1 table.

"I won't forget the supporters here in Marseille," said Diarra. "I haven't signed for PSG," he confirmed, easing OM supporters’ fears that the 29-year-old is moving to their arch-rivals.

"Right now, in the footballing world, there are a lot of great projects everywhere. And there are big clubs who will be looking to bounce back after tough seasons."

Diarra is caught the eye of several English clubs, with Tottenham, Leicester and Manchester City reportedly showing an interest.

The player’s remarkable return to form has also seen him receive a call-up to the France international team to participate in the upcoming European Championship.