Real Madrid midfielder Diarra laughs off De Rossi threat

Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra has laughed off the threat of Roma star Daniele de Rossi arriving to take his place.

De Rossi is again being linked with Real for an end of season move.

And Diarra said: "Every day lots of names associated with Real Madrid come and go. For the moment, I am not thinking about De Rossi and I am only thinking about playing. We'll see what happens next season."

Asked about Ruud van Nistelrooy's imminent departure, the former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder added: "I was never very good at talking about other players. If he leaves, it is an issue for the club and the player himself."