Crystal Palace have turned down offers from QPR and Birmingham City for their central midfielder Ben Watson. Meanwhile QPR are hoping to bring an end to two other lengthening transfer sagas
Watson impressed fans, managers and pundits alike with his form at the heart of the Crystal Palace midfield in the second half of last season but has since refused to sign an extension to his current contract at Selhurst Park which expires this time next season. Watson would be able to leave for nothing at the end of his deal and Palace’s desire to cash in while they still can has sparked a chase for the midfielder’s signature.
Palace lost Mark Hudson to Charlton on a free transfer earlier this summer in similar circumstances.
QPR were thought to be leading the race for Watson but Eagles boss Neil Warnock tdoay told the BBC that they had rejected all offers made so far.
Warnock said: “Their valuations haven't really met ours, so he is our player until we can agree one - we're going to wait and see. Ben's a lovely lad and he's training hard - that's the situation right now.
"His representatives have made it clear he won't sign a new contract next year and we have offered him the best contract at the club. We're not going to let a situation like Hudson develop where we get nothing for a player. With one year left his value's not the same, we would have valued him at £2m-£3m if he'd had two of three years left on his contract."
QPR’s pursuit of two other Championship stars from last season is also in a state of flux. Kaspars Gorkss is not training with Blackpool and is unlikely to play for them again despite chairman Karl Oyston rejecting a QPR cash plus player compromise and ordering the Latvian to return north last week. It’s thought that Danny Nardiello could yet be the key to that deal going through although he has travelled to Bath with the rest of the QPR squad for a pre-season training camp today and there’s no end to this tale in sight just yet.
The Blackpool Gazette is today reporting that QPR could be offering wages of £15,000 a week to Gorkss which would certainly explain his keeness to complete the move - although what their source for this information is remains unclear.
Man City’s Ched Evans, who destroyed QPR playing for Norwich at Carrow Road last season, is back in the country this week after touring Germany with City last week and is expected in London this week to discuss a possible loan move to Loftus Road. Again it’s unclear when or if that deal will go through - at the moment last minute hitches seem to be QPR’s specialist subject.
Discuss this story on the Message Board
Click here and be the first user to comment on this story