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We hoped to get him back on loan from Villa, but all the time there were suggestions he was on his way to Lille, or perhaps Benfica. With the Clarets in Austria the whole thing changed when he was released by Martin O'Neill leaving him as a free agent.
That seemed to end our hopes, but it wasn't the case, but at the end of the day you can only go so far to bring a player in. When his wage demands are such that it blows any pay structure out of the window, when you are faced with a potentially astronomical signing on fee, it is time to admit defeat on bringing him in.
Rumours surfaced that both West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday were interested in signing him, but I was always convinced that he would not be playing in the Championship, I couldn't see how they would meet his demands, or that he would be prepared to compromise.
He didn't, he wouldn't, and instead he's gone chasing glory in Qatar, hardly a massive hotbed of football. Last season they had Jay Jay Okocha in their side, a player towards the end of his career, but a player who has now decided it wasn't a big enough challenge.
Djemba-Djemba has gone to a club in a league where the major thing on offer must be the money. He's just 26, he'll be wealthy enough, but other than that, this move totally baffles me for a player of the quality we saw last season.
He's signed a one year deal, but by this time next year, when he's looking for another deal, I cannot foresee a decent side in a decent league being particularly interested.