Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool may have to wait if they are to sign Real's unwanted midfielder Mahamadou Diarra.

According to The Daily Star, Diarra will be heading for the African Nations Cup in January and will not be prepared to negotiate a move.

Real are looking to offload some of their players after their whopping £220m summer spending spree and Mali star Diarra is one of the players who can leave.

Diarra has found first team football hard to come by with Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso and Guti ahead of him in the pecking order.

But Diarra’s agent Frederic Guerra said: “In January he will be with Mali at the African Nations Cup so won’t be moving.”