Marseille midfielder pens £2 million West Ham deal

Dave Evans, West Ham correspondent
Friday, August 10, 2012
4:16 PM

Transfer news: Alou Diarra signs three year contract

West Ham have swooped to sign France international midfielder Alou Diarra from Marseille in a deal said to be worth around £2 million.

The 31-year-old, who has signed a three-year contract, can operate as a defensive midfielder or as a centre back and provides a wealth of experience to a West Ham squad that assistant manager Neil McDonald described as ‘thinnish’ last week.

Diarra has been capped 44 times for his country, including playing in both the 2010 World Cup and this summer’s European Championships.

He has won the French title twice and played nearly 30 times in the Champions League as well as captaining his country.

The six feet three inch Frenchman will not be a stranger when he arrives at Upton Park either, he already knows Guy Demel, Mo Diame and Modibo Maiga.

“I am very happy to be here at West Ham – everything is signed now which is good and I am excited to be here,” he said.

“I know a lot about West Ham as a club and when I knew they were interested in signing me, I was very happy and knew it would be a good choice for me.

“I see this as my chance in the Premier League to do well with West Ham. I hope that my experience can help and the fans will see me give my all in the matches.”