Diarra focused on Marseille despite transfer talk

Amid speculation concerning his future at Marseille, French international midfielder Lassana Diarra has vowed to focus on the Cote D'Azur side's relegation fight.

Diarra, 31, has been a bright spot amid a campaign of low points for Michel's 15th-place Olympique, sparking talk that the pint-sized defensive mid could make a move to a marquee side this summer.

"It proves that work pays off," Diarra offered on the interest from other clubs, according to ESPN FC. "But I'm still at Marseille. There are matches to play - there's a semifinal and a final. There will be time."

Marseille travels to second-tier side Sochaux on Wednesday for a French Cup semi-final, looking to take anything from an utterly dismal season.

The former Real Madrid and Arsenal player has enjoyed a brilliant return to first-team football this season after it appeared his once-promising career was on the rocks.

A dismal spell in Russia with Lokomotiv Moscow was cut short, with the Paris native opting instead to play five-a-side football in his hometown as he awaited an approach from clubs interested in the midfield metronome.

The French international was linked with a move to Italy with either Inter Milan or Juventus, though Diarra thwarted that speculation, claiming that the rumour was generated by a man posing as his agent.

"Mr Marijo Knez is not and has NEVER been my agent ... the rumours of a potential departure this winter are false," Diarra said in a Tweet that has since been deleted.

With four league matches left and a six-point cushion on 18th-place Gazelec Ajaccio, Marseilles faces a vital run-in. Nearing a perilous late-season collapse, the club has won just twice this season at the Stade Velodrome, and hasn't tasted victory in 11 matches.

Once the class of France's top tier, Marseille is now facing its first relegation since a league-enforced match fixing-related drop in 1993-94, and Diarra will likely play a vital role in the club's hopes for safety.