Lassana Diarra: I snubbed Eastlands for Bernabeu

Lassana Diarra has revealed that Manchester City offered him a greater financial package than Real Madrid.

The French midfielder, however, opted to move to the Bernabeu and passed a medical yesterday en route to completing his move from Portsmouth for a reported £20million fee, with £5m going to Arsenal as part of their sell-on agreement with the South Coast club.

Diarra said: "Were Manchester City keen to sign me? Yes, indeed. I would have earned a lot more. But Real are very attractive. I was in England for five years and learnt a lot of things there.

"I became very attached to the Premier League. You can't leave it that easily. But Real came and that makes you think. It is an honour."