I Am No Mercenary, Insists Diarra Portsmouth surprise signing Lassana Diarra has hit back at claims that he only plans to use Fratton Park as a stepp

Almost immediately after the 22-year-old French midfielder joined Pompey on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Arsenal, there were accusations in the press that he wast just out for a quick and easy pay day before inevitably shopping himself around to a more prestigious European side.

Diarra, however, insists that he was not motivated by short-term gains and that he has high hopes for Portsmouth.

"I want to be here and I have come here to focus on my football. Of course, I want to keep my place in the French national team but that will be no problem if I play here and do well," he said.

"This is a really good team with some really good players. I have watched Pompey and I believe we can qualify for Europe with the players we have here."

Diarra did not exactly leave the Emirates Stadium under the best of terms, after publicly complaining about his lack of first team action under Arsene Wenger, but he insists that there are no hard feelings.

"It was difficult to leave a great club like Arsenal and I never had a problem with Arsène Wenger," he added.

"I still wish them good luck and I still think they could win the Premier League, but I have to focus on my own career and the only way to do that is by playing and playing well."