Arabian Gulf League champions Al-Jazira have continued their impressive transfer business by signing former Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra.
The UAE club have officially completed the signing of the Frenchman on a free transfer from Ligue 1 side Marseille.
Dubbed as the “new Claude Makélélé” based on his outstanding defensive midfield role, Diarra earned a contract with Chelsea in July 2005.
After spending 2 seasons with the South London club, the French midfielder made the move to Chelsea’s rivals Arsenal. Following only five months at Arsenal, he played for Portsmouth for one year, winning the FA Cup and earning a call-up to the France national team for the 2008 EURO.
Diarra spent three and a half years at Real Madrid and was part of the side that won the 2011 Copa Del Rey and the 2011/12 Primera División.
Since leaving the Bernabeu, he experienced playing in Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala and Lokomotiv Moscow, before ending up at Marseille.