National newspaper speculation today that Mo Diame is a £5 million target for Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle is odd …and that’s putting it mildly!
A popular tabloid claims that the midfielder is at loggerheads with the club over signing a new deal and wants £80,000 a week to do so.
The story looks like a re-run of the saga we saw a year back when almost daily Arsenal, Everton and Spurs were linked with the player.
With agents beating the publicity drum, there was even a Sky Sports News report an hour before deadline that an unnamed club had made an undisclosed bid. It was of course untrue.
The latest version claims a £5 million fee is required and that despite his having a £3.5 m release clause, another £1.5 million would be added in appearance clauses!
A source told ClaretandHugh: “That one has a few people scratching their heads. There have only been very preliminary usual talks with Mo’s people- exploratory discussions about possibilities but nothing in detail.
“Were anybody willing to offer £80k in wages, they wouldn’t include West Ham United and at no stage has there even been a single enquiry for Mo.
“As for appearance deals we would be a very long way from that given the situation.”
He and his agent are drumming up interest again, though after this season his chances of actually getting any beyond Crystal Palace and their ilk is highly questionable.