Spurs set their sights on Arsenal's Diarra

Tottenham Hotspur will try to tempt Lassana Diarra from Arsenal next month and have also been linked with a move for the Ajax defender Urby Emanuelson.

Diarra alerted a host of clubs, including Lyon in his native France, when he revealed his determination to quit Arsenal just four months after joining them from Chelsea. He said that he was frustrated at his lack of playing opportunities - he has started only four Premier League games - and alleged that Arsenal had reneged on promises made to him.

Damien Comolli, the Tottenham sporting director and Diarra's compatriot, knows the midfielder's representatives and will look into signing him for Juande Ramos

Fifa's transfer regulations state a player "is only eligible to play in official matches for two clubs" in the period from July 1st to June 30th of the following year but they may be registered for "a maximum of three clubs". Diarra came on for Chelsea as a substitute in the Community Shield against Manchester United on August 5th but he did not play for them again before his transfer to Arsenal on August 31st. The FA confirmed last night the Community Shield was not an official first-team game.

Ajax's Emanuelson is regarded as one of the best young talents in Europe and the 21-year-old's agent, Brian Birkleef, has said Tottenham have approached him to talk about the player. "I have been rung but I referred them to Ajax," said Birkleef.

Spurs have appealed against Steve Bennett's decision to dismiss Didier Zokora in their League Cup quarter-final victory at Manchester City, in the hope the red card can be overturned for the Ivorian to face Arsenal. Zokora was sent off for a two-footed lunge on City's Brazilian midfielder Elano 20 minutes into the tie at Eastlands on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) have urged clubs to clamp down on crowd abuse. Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell and Norwich manager Glenn Roeder yesterday insisted the problem is out of control. PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor believes clubs should be doing more to target games with potential flashpoints.

"If there is clear knowledge of what may happen at a match, it is as well stewards and police are pre-warned," he said. "Clubs need to be very mindful when they are counselling stewards before the game that there may be likely targets in the opposition team."

Campbell is routinely targeted by Tottenham supporters still bearing a grudge about his departure from the club for rivals Arsenal. His Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp, recently blasted Aston Villa fans after they abused him in a recent game between the sides, while Roeder revealed he was targeted by Colchester supporters on Saturday. The weekend also witnessed the jeering of Chelsea's Ashley Cole by the fans of his former club Arsenal.

"If this happened on the street, you would be arrested," Campbell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "This is the 21st century, and this is a human rights situation where sportsmen and managers are trying to do their job professionally and people are abusing them verbally. It has gone too far."

Campbell believes the English FA can do more to tackle the problem. "They have let us down because they have allowed this to continue"

The FA insist they are treating the problem seriously. "There is legislation in place to deal with abusive, threatening and racist behaviour by ejecting and arresting offending individuals. It is against the law," a spokesman said.

"The FA lobbied hard for such tough policies. It is for individual clubs - working with the police if necessary - to enforce these laws."