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"Liverpool have been linked with signing Modibo Diakite from Lazio whose contract runs out this summer.With Jamie Carragher retiring at the end of the season, it's obvious Liverpool will be looking for new defenders, especially with Sebastian Coates failing to impress in his two seasons at the club. One player they were linked with signing in January, in a summer deal was Modibo Diakite of Lazio. The 25-year-old centre-back is out of contract this summer and is currently one of Europe's most attractive free agents, but his own injury issues are giving clubs doubts. A shin injury has seen Diakite play just one game the entire season, but his impressive 2011/12 where he made 36 appearances for the Serie A club showed what he is capable of when fit. Liverpool have a decision to make whether to try and convince him to sign at Anfield, but Diakite also needs to give the Reds, or any other club, confidence he can get past his injury issues. If he can then he is a potential bargain. One club considering signing him up from Lazio is Napoli. This week Frenchman Diakite took a step towards signing a new three-year contract fellow Serie A side Napoli, with Sky Italia confirming negotiations are now taking place. However it was stated yesterday that talks are to be delayed by several days, because of the player's agent going down ill. French radio station Radio Mars broadcast: \"The meeting with Napoli is shifted forward by three or four days because the agent has been in bed with a fever.\"&amp;nbsp; They added that talks would resume, but just had been temporarily postponed. If it turns out to be true, then Diakite could tie up a transfer by sometime next week, so this is one to watch. But there is also the possibility - and call us cynical here - that the defender is holding out for more time to make a decision. He could be using the delay to wait and see if any other offers materialise, so Liverpool may have a few extra days to deliberate over making a move. It would be a gamble bearing in mind his injuries this season, but on a free transfer Diakite's talent could make him worth the gamble. Conspiracy or truth? Should Liverpool make an offer?&amp;nbsp; image: &amp;copy; leekelso"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2013/02/19/liverpool-defender-target-future-delayed-by-agent-fever-conspira/>