Posted by Betfair's View

Betfair Guest Blogger-

Real Madrid are looking to sell Mahamadou Diarra, with reported interest coming from teams in England and Turkey for the midfielder.

The Mali international will be one of a number of midfielders who Madrid will be looking to get off their books due to the arrival of German pair Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira in the summer.

Diarra has been at Real since 2006 when he signed from Lyon. The 29 year old is about to enter the final year of his contract with Madrid and will be allowed to leave for around the £6million mark.

Blackburn Rovers are reported to be leading the race to bring Diarra to England. Turkish giants Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are also monitoring the situation closely and may decide to swoop for the tough tackling midfielder.

Another Diarra who could be on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu is Frenchman Lassana. The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder is reportedly closing in on a move to his third London club, Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp signed the 25 year old when he was in charge of Portsmouth and is keen to team up with Diarra at his latest club. Diarra started 19 games in La Liga last season as Madrid finished second behind Barcelona in the league. Real will be hoping to beat their old rivals to the title this season but the Spanish La Liga betting odds suggest it will be a close run thing.

In his time in Madrid, Diarra has become a regular fixture in the French national team. He was unlucky to suffer a mysterious abdominal injury before this summer's World Cup, forcing him to withdraw from his country's disastrous campaign in South Africa.

Madrid president Fiorentino Perez is looking to sell the player rather than let him leave in a loan deal after investing heavily in new midfield talent this summer.

Meanwhile, Ozil's former club, Werder Bremen, got off to a disastrous start to the new Bundesliga season with a 4-1 reverse against TSG Hoffenheim. They are now less fancied in the German Bundesliga betting odds as they sit rock bottom of the table after one game.