Fulham are swooping for free agent Mahamadou Diarra.

The Daily Mail says the 30-year old, an integral part of Real Madrid's midfield under Fabio Capello, has agreed a contract for the rest of this season and hopes to do enough to persuade manager Martin Jol he is worth a long-term deal.

Renowned as a tough-tackling anchor man and capped 64 times by Mali, Diarra has been without a club since leaving Monaco last summer. But Jol is convinced he has the experience and physical strength to succeed in the Premier League and will confirm the transfer today.