Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Shouldn't Sign Lassana Diarra in January Window

Arsenal are reportedly interested in bringing back Lassana Diarra on a free transfer, but while a move for the Frenchman appears to make sense, the Gunners shouldn't sign him when the January window rolls around.

According to the Daily Express' Anthony Chapman, the 29-year-old is keen to join a high-profile club as he attempts to play his way back in France's national team ahead of Euro 2016. He's also supposedly a free agent, meaning he could sign with a new club outside the designated transfer windows.

Arsenal have a need at the holding midfielder position, and with Diarra's versatility to help out at right-back, he would present Arsene Wenger with both value and experience in two key areas currently lacking depth.

Epsilon/Getty Images

But there are many reasons why a reunion makes little sense. For starters, Wenger was unimpressed with Diarra during his first spell with the club, back in 2007-08. Per Chapman, he lasted only one season before being shipped off to Portsmouth.

In case anyone has forgotten, this is what the former Gunner had to say about Wenger after joining Pompey, via the Daily Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson:

"

I didn't learn anything from Wenger. All he taught me was how to doubt myself, how to doubt everything. Wenger never said a word to me until the day I left. He spoke to the others but not with me.

[...] I played only fifteen games and I did not have a good relationship with him [Wenger]. I respect the way he coaches but I learnt more with Mourinho. He looked me in the eyes when he talked to me.

"

People change and old feuds are forgotten, but it remains a factor against a possible reunion. Diarra isn't the easiest person to work with—there's a reason he's played for five different clubs in the past seven years.

There's also the small detail of Diarra not actually being a free agent at all. Lokomotiv Moscow never registered him to play, but he was never released either, as explained by Sport-Express' Artur Petrosyan:

As reported by The Independent's Nick Purewal, a move to Queens Park Rangers fell through after the player had already completed a medical. If Diarra were a free agent, the medical would have been the final hurdle before completing the transfer.

Free agents can be signed outside of the designated transfer windows (summer and January). Diarra has a contract with Lokomotiv Moscow, meaning he can't sign anywhere unless the Russians void his contract.

If they weren't willing to do so in order to let him join QPR, there's little reason to believe they've changed their minds three weeks later. For all intents and purposes, Diarra is stuck until January.

So, will the Gunners make their move in January? Diarra failed to convince with Chelsea and flopped with Arsenal, but he showed with Real Madrid that he can, at the very least, be a serviceable player.

If he were a free agent, his experience and versatility would make him an excellent fit for the Gunners, who need depth following Mathieu Debuchy's injury and Mikel Arteta's recent struggles.  

By the time the January window rolls around, Debuchy's injury concerns should be long gone, and while Arsenal could still use defensive depth, there will be other options available.

Hamish Blair/Getty Images

Diarra could be an option if Lokomotiv are willing to part with him for a much-reduced transfer fee, but Arsenal will likely prefer to turn towards a younger option with a higher ceiling. Such a player would be a far more popular choice with the fans, and a better long-term investment.

This rumour simply was too good to be true. Free agents of Diarra's caliber don't usually last this long into the season. Unless Wenger can find a way to bend the current regulations regarding transfers, Diarra won't be joining the Gunners anytime soon. And once the market reopens, there will be a long list of better candidates for the Gunners to choose from.

Follow @ReverschPass