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Adel Taarabt, right, will remain at Loftus Road this summer, QPR have confirmed. Photograph: Rebecca Naden/PA Wire/Press Association Images |
The QPR majority shareholders Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore have confirmed that their captain Adel Taarabt will not leave the club during the summer transfer window.
The 22-year-old playmaker was a key figure in
the west London team's Championship triumph last season and picked up the Football League Player of the Year award for his performances. Taarabt's stock rose markedly as a consequence and speculation had linked him with a host of elite European clubs.
Paris St Germain were thought to be close to completing a deal, but QPR have now confirmed Taarabt will be staying with the club beyond the end of the current transfer window.
"We are pleased to confirm that Adel Taarabt will be staying at QPR this summer," said a club statement released on behalf of Ecclestone and Briatore. "Despite receiving a substantial bid for our Moroccan international, we rebuffed all approaches and, indeed, we are keen to build for the future in the Premier League and not sell one of our prized assets.
"Should we have decided to sell Taarabt this summer, we made it clear to [manager] Neil Warnock we would reinvest funds into the squad.
"Taarabt is fully committed to the club and is looking forward to proving his undoubted star quality for QPR in the Premier League. Our decision not to sell him only serves to reiterate the ambition and commitment we have shown to QPR since we arrived here.
"We have backed Neil Warnock in bringing in his two top targets, Jay Bothroyd and Kieron Dyer, and we are working hard to try to pursue a couple of other targets the coach has identified.
"Welsh international Danny Gabbidon has impressed the coach while on trial and we are aiming to add him, as well as at least one or two other players to our squad in the near future."
The statement also reiterated the board's support for Warnock, although Ecclestone and Briatore confirmed they have spoken to the former Sheffield United boss about toning down his comments to the media.
"Neil Warnock is our coach and we are working closely with him in a professional and confidential manner to try to achieve our aims and objectives," the statement added.
"The coach's job is to coach the squad and identify players he believes will improve the squad. As a board, we deal with all the negotiations and we have been successful in completing deals for Bothroyd and Dyer so far.
"We are aware of some issues that have been raised in the press by the coach, but we have discussed these with him and he has agreed to be more reserved in terms of what he discusses in the future."
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