Wigan Athletic boss has swooped for French defensive midfielder Mohammed Diame to fill the void left by Lee Cattermole’s departure to Sunderland. After weeks of pursuit, Martinez was able to close the deal for the talented midfielder of Senegalese origin. Wigan offered €3.8 million to Rayo Vallecano for his services.
Diame joined Rayo from CD Linares in 2008. He played 35 games for Rayo scoring twice for them. His performances attracted a lot of attention from various clubs like Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Diame was close to a switch to the Emirates Stadium in January before the move fell through.
Diame’s deal to Wigan was held up after the medical revealed heart concerns for the midfielder. But Martinez has finally been given the go ahead by his medical staff. He joins Antonio Amaya and is expected to slot right into the squad for the game against Manchester United.
Martinez was very upbeat about his new signings –
“We are quite close to agreeing everything, and the main thing now is thrashing out the personal terms,” the 36-year-old told The Wigan Evening Post. “Hopefully that will be done quite soon and they will be excellent signings for the future.”I’ve followed their progress and development for a long time, and they will bring something different to our squad.”I’m happy with the way the squad is developing; there’s a tremendous work ethic and a fantastic spirit in the camp.”I’m very excited about the challenge ahead and the players are very focused and ready for that challenge.”I’ve got huge confidence in the quality of the squad, we have a good core of players and we are getting stronger every day.”
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