Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Abou Diaby contract: Perennially-injured Arsenal midfielder set for pay-as-you-play deal

The Frenchman's current deal expires in the summer

James Orr
Wednesday 22 April 2015 07:48 EDT
Comments
Abou Diaby makes a pass during Arsenal's 2-1 League Cup defeat by Southampton in September, his only first-team appearance for the club this season
Abou Diaby makes a pass during Arsenal's 2-1 League Cup defeat by Southampton in September, his only first-team appearance for the club this season (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Abou Diaby is set to be handed a pay-as you-play contract at Arsenal this summer, according to reports.

The French midfielder has played just 83 minutes of first-team football in the last two seasons after a cruel run of injuries.

The 28-year-old's current deal expires in the summer, with The Telegraph reporting that Arsenal will give Diaby the final chance to resurrect his career with a pay-as-you-play arrangement.

The deal will allow him to continue training at the club next season, if he is not able to prove his fitness before his contract runs out in the summer.

Diaby has impressed in recent Under-21 matches fixtures for the club this season, as he aims to build up his match fitness.

His run of injuries started after a horror from Sunderland's Dan Smith broke his ankle in 2006.

Back in November, Wenger said of Diaby: "He [Diaby] is a player that I have an enormous amount of respect for,” explained Wenger.

"Every time he comes back, he has to start from zero with another injury. He was a victim of competition.

"A footballer needs his ankle. He was destroyed by a bad tackle [by Dan Smith in May 2006 that saw Diaby suffer a fractured ankle] at Sunderland six or seven years ago which altered his ankle.

"He is not a fragile player. He was the victim of an assassin's tackle that went unpunished."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in