Ahead of what promises to be a very busy fortnight at Loftus Road Rangers have today announced the loan signing of attacking midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma.
Rangers have been linked with a host of promising young talent from Serie A this summer after Iain Dowie and Gianni Paladini spent time out there watching youth tournaments last month and Ledesma is expected to be joined by up to three more similar loan signings next week.
QPR have agreed a fee of three million euros (£2.2m or thereabouts at the current exchange rate) for the 20 year old Genoa midfielder should he impress over the next 12 months. Ledesma is the third Argentinean to play for QPR after Ossie Ardiles and popular left back Gino Padula who left the Bush in controversial circumstances back in 2005.
Ledesma is yet to make his full debut for Genoa but was an unused sub in their 2-0 defeat by Atalanta on the last day of last season.
Manager Iain Dowie told the club’s official website: “I went to watch him in Italy and although Genoa lost that particular match he was the outstanding player on the pitch. He’s incredibly creative and has exceptional ability on the ball. He can play across the front line and has an excellent range of passing.
“He’s one for the future but technically he’s ready now. He will need time to adapt to the style of the English game, and the Championship in particular, but I’m very excited about him.”
While QPR’s transfer business on these shores has either failed, become tangled in red tape or dragged out into a lengthy saga the club is making great strides on the continent and hope to confirm at least two more Serie A signings next week.
Inter Milan striker Mattia Destro, 17, is also said to be destined for W12 on a season long loan deal along with Samuel Di Carmine and Matthias Lepiller from Fiorentina. Newly promoted Chievo Verona sold winger Matteo Alberti to Rangers earlier in the summer.
Dowie has praised the impact and connections of owner Flavio Briatore for enabling QPR to pick off some of Italy’s outstanding young talent this summer.
Briatore told the official website: “I am extremely grateful to Enrico Preziozi [Genoa owner] for giving QPR the opportunity to sign Emmanuel. He is a great young talent and we are looking forward to welcoming him to QPR.”
How successful the policy of bringing in untried and untested young foreign players into a Championship side will be will only become clear when the squad returns for pre-season training at Harlington from next week.
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