Transfer news: Portsmouth have completed the signing of France midfielder Lassana Diarra from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.
The 22-year-old only joined the Gunners from Chelsea last summer but has been frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the Emirates Stadium.
Diarra will join his new team-mates for training tomorrow and could make his debut in Saturday's Barclays Premier League match at home to Derby.
Diarra, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, hopes the move will reignite his career, even though he admits he has ambitions to play for bigger clubs than Pompey.
The player believes it is important now to start playing regular games in the top flight, particularly with Euro 2008 looming, and he feels he will get that at Fratton Park under Harry Redknapp.
"My choice could shock and surprise people, I am conscious of that," Diarra told French daily L'Equipe. "It isn't Arsenal, it isn't Chelsea. But I know the Portsmouth manager, I know he is going to play me.
"I need to play. I really want to think about myself, about those who appreciate me, who want to see me a little more on the pitch.
"I am 22 and the most important thing for me is football, my job, my passion.
"I read that the club [Arsenal] wanted to keep me. But when you want to keep someone, you do it by playing them. This hasn't been the case.
"I am very happy. I feel better already because I know I am going to play and string together matches."
With Sulley Muntari, Papa Bouba Diop, John Utaka and Kanu away on international duty in the African Nations Cup, Diarra should be thrown straight into Pompey's starting line-up by Redknapp.
• Bolton have signed Matt Taylor from Portsmouth on a three-and-a-half year deal. The 26-year-old has been out of favour on the south coast so far this season and had been expected to leave Fratton Park at some point this month.
Wanderers have not disclosed the fee they have paid for the transfer, which follows the arrivals of Tamir Cohen and Gretar Steinsson.
• Aston Villa central defender Martin Laursen has ended doubts over his future and agreed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with the midlands club.
The Denmark international will formally put pen to paper tomorrow on a deal which will keep him at Villa Park until the end of the 2009-2010 season.
Thirty-year-old Laursen was out of contract in the summer but has consistently stated that he was happy to remain at Villa.
He moved from AC Milan for £3million in 2004 and his first three years at Villa were dogged by knee problems.
But during the current campaign Laursen has been an ever-present and also weighed in with six Barclays Premier League goals.
• New Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has agreed a fee of £5m with Watford for striker Marlon King. The two parties just need to agree personal terms on a deal, while Fulham have agreed to send Collins John in the opposite direction on loan.
