Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra has gone on strike at Marseille in order to force through a move to the Chinese Super League, report The Sun.
Diarra is a familiar face in England, having played for two of the biggest teams in the Premier League. The Frenchman made 31 appearances for Chelsea, but failed to push past Claude Makelele and Michael Essien into Jose Mourinho’s starting side and subsequently moved to direct rivals Arsenal.
It was a similar story at the Emirates, however, and only played 13 times for the Gunners before joining Portsmouth. His good performances for them captured the attention of Real Madrid, who drafted him in during the winter window in 2009.
After making 117 appearances for Los Blancos, his career turn a turn for the worst, but Diarra has worked his way back up and established himself as a cornerstone in Marseille’s midfield. However, he could be set to leave European football in search of a bigger pay packet.
As per The Sun, Diarra has gone on strike at Marseille as he looks to seal a move to the Far East. They report that he owes former club Lokomotiv Moscow a whopping £7 million for breach of contract, and the astronomical wages the Chinese Super League has to offer could come to his rescue.