Argentinean midfielder Alejandro Faurlin signed from Instituto for a fee that could rise to £3.5m in the summer of 2009.
DOB – 09/08/86
Height – 6ft 1ins
Weight – 12st 6bs
Contract – 2012
It was reported that QPR had smashed their transfer record to bring Faurlin in from Instituto in the summer of 2009. In reality the 22 year old, left footed Argentinean midfielder signed for much less than the £3.5m fee reported, with the rest being made up by additional clauses and bonus payments. He made 34 appearances in the Argentinean equivalent of the Championship last season and although he suffered a thigh muscle injury in his first pre-season at Loftus Road he quickly impressed in the centre of the Rangers midfield with a good range of passing and creative eye.
Magilton told the club’s official website: “He is a good signing for the football club. We have had a good look at him and we believe he will be a valuable addition to the squad. He is a likeable young lad who plays the game with a smile on his face so we will have no problems.”
Faurlin says he turned down offers from elsewhere in Europe to move to Loftus Road. He said: “I am really pleased to be here in England, playing for a club like Queens Park Rangers. I know a lot about the English game and I really admire the ability of teams at this level. I am really looking forward to playing for the club and showing the manager, my fellow players, and the supporters what I can do. I had opportunities to play in Spain, Italy and Greece but QPR was my choice and I am delighted to be here. I was really impressed with the set up and the ambition of the club and I cannot wait to make my QPR debut.”
Magilton and his assistant John Gorman spent time scouting South American players with Ipswich’s scout Simon Hunt last season and landed Luciano Civelli as a result. This first capture for their new club would seem to be a product of those trips to the Southern Hemisphere rather than a deal brokered by QPR’s owners as with last summer’s capture of Faurlin’s fellow countryman Emmanuel Ledesma. Faurlin joins Ledesma, Gino Padula and Ossie Ardilles on the list of Argentinean players who have turned out for QPR.