Wenger: Diarra Panicked Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that France midfielder Lassana Diarra "panicked" when things did not all go his w

Unsettled midfielder, who only joined Arsenal from Chelsea in August, moved again just over four months later, signing for Portsmouth on Thursday for a reported £5million fee.

Diarra had become frustrated at Chelsea by the lack of first-team outings, but it was a case of out of the frying pan into the fire at the Emirates, where Arsenal's excellent start to the season meant manager Arsene Wenger was not inclined to break up the impressive central midfield pairing of Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini in order to accommodate Diarra.

Now Diarra, 22, has promised to show total commitment to Portsmouth and has refuted suggestions that he is only using Pompey as a staging post en route to another, bigger club.

Reflecting on Diarra"s brief career as a Gunner, Wenger said: "I regret that he has gone and I wish him well.

"He was impatient, especially because he had known a situation like that before at Chelsea, and I decided to open the door [to let him leave] because I have players in that [midfield] position.

"When he had exactly the same problem again, he panicked a little bit."

Wenger added: "I believe he has enough quality to play at the top level, that means for a big club.

"What he wanted to say was certainly that he has not lost the target to play for a big club."