Rangers have today completed the signing of Spanish midfielder Jordi Lopez on a free transfer.
Lopez has played for an impressive array of La Liga clubs since graduating through the Barcelona youth set up. He left the Nou Camp without making a senior appearance to join Real Madrid where he was again restricted to mostly B-team action making just two first team appearances in the 2003/04 season. Spells with Sevilla and Real Mallorca followed before a loan spell with Racing Santander last season.
He can play wide or centrally in midfield and has two goals in 77 senior appearances to his name - both for Sevilla, one in the UEFA Cup and one in La Liga. He is described more as a creative passer of the ball rather than a midfield destroyer despite his meagre goals tally.
Since being released on a free transfer last summer Lopez, aged 27, has been training alone and trying to win a contract in English football. He trialled with Portsmouth and Blackburn last summer and was all set to sign for Birmingham City in December before, worryingly, failing a medical. Lopez has spurned advances from Recreativo de Huelva in his homeland to sign for QPR until the end of the season.
Lopez has been training with QPR on trial this week and would be available for the Ipswich match on Saturday if manager Paulo Sousa deems him fit and ready for action.
Sousa told the club’s official website: “Jordi is a very, very capable player and will give us great options in the middle of the park. He can play central or wide and is technically a very good player. He is a very creative midfielder and we are looking forward to welcoming him into our family.”