Portsmouth have signed Lassana Diarra, the French international midfielder, from Arsenal.

Diarra has been frustrated by a lack of first team opportunities since signing for Arsenal last summer and complained last month that he has made more appearances for France than he had for his club side.

The 22-year-old said that the move, for an undisclosed fee, would boost his chance of making the France squad for Euro 2008 and that Portsmouth would provide a platform for his talents. But he will have hardly endeared himself to fans of his new club by insinuating that he was intending to use the move as a springboard towards joining another of Europe's elite teams.

“The people at Portsmouth know I will not spend my life at this club,” he said. “If I shine, if a really big club wants me, I know already that everything will go well.”

Diarra has made just eight starts for Arsenal, and only four in the Premier League, since signing from Chelsea on the transfer deadline. Portsmouth, who currently lie ninth in the Premier League, were believed to have been in the running for him when he left Chelsea, at the same time as Glen Johnson, who did sign for the south coast side.

He is likely to be thrown straight into the starting line-up for Saturday’s game against Derby County, owing to Portsmouth’s Africa Cup of Nations absentees.

“My choice could shock and surprise people, I am conscious of that,” Diarra said. “It isn’t Arsenal, it isn’t Chelsea. But I know the Portsmouth manager, I know he is going to play me.”

He added: “I need to play. I really want to think about myself, about those who appreciate me, who want to see me a little more on the pitch.

“I am 22 and the most important thing for me is football, my job, my passion. I read that the club [Arsenal] wanted to keep me. But when you want to keep someone, you do it by playing them. This hasn’t been the case.

“I am very happy. I feel better already because I know I am going to play and string together matches.”