Queens Park Rangers have confirmed that the club’s player of the year last season, Adel Taarabt, will be playing for the club next season. Taarabt, who is also the club captain, had an outstanding season last year in the Championship and helped Rangers qualify for the Premiership.
He won the best player award in the championship last season and this brought him attention from numerous clubs. Paris St. Germaine were the favorites till this weekend and also seemed to have completed negotiations with the player. However they hit a snag while on negotiations with Rangers for a value on the Moroccan.
Rangers were looking for something above £10 million, but PSG were looking for something less than that. The player’s talents alone are not behind such a high valuation. Taarabt was at Rangers on loan from Tottenham Hotspur two summers back and the deal became permanent last summer for a fee of £1 million. However, Spurs will get 40% of any future transfer fee for Taarabt and Rangers will need to consider that complication as well.
PSG are interested in the player because the club’s new owners, who are Qataris, want a Muslim to spearhead the team. Taarabt has plenty of talent and is also mature on the field.
However, in a joint statement from the Rangers owners, Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, the club mentioned that the player will not be sold and has agreed to stay with the newly promoted club. The manager, Neil Warnock, had expressed his concerns that if Taarabt were to be sold, the transfer funds would not be reinvested in the club. However, the club also assured that the manager would be getting the funds if the club decides to sell Taarabt.
The club is looking to have a future in the Premier League and selling their best player would not be the right way to go about. The club has already concluded the deals for Jay Bothroyd and former Newcastle and West Ham United player, Kieron Dyer. Danny Gabbidon is another name that is being associated with the club, and the Welsh international is already on trial. His deal is most likely to be concluded in the coming weeks.
Taarabt is crucial to Rangers’ chances of surviving in the Premiership next season. He is a very exciting prospect and links the midfield with the forwards superbly. He should also have considerable space in the Premier League when compared to the Championship and he will only benefit from it.