London - Portsmouth confirmed on Wednesday that they have accepted a bid from Real Madrid for midfielder Lassana Diarra.

The 23 year old, who has not played for almost a month because of an ankle injury, joined the club from Arsenal in January for around 5 million pounds (7.6 million dollars).

It is believed the Spanish giants could be offering as much as 24 million pounds for Diarra.

"We have always said we would only allow our players to leave if we received an exceptional bid," a spokesman told the club website.

"It shows how far the club has come under the ownership of Alexandre Gaydamak when Real Madrid come in for one of our players.

"Should the deal be completed, the club have already identified possible replacements." (dpa)