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Warnock hanging on to Taarabt hope

Adel Taarabt may be at Loftus Road next season after all © PA Photos

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QPR boss Neil Warnock is refusing to admit defeat over the expected departure of star player Adel Taarabt, insisting the midfielder will return to training as normal if the club do not receive an appropriate bid.

Last week Warnock revealed Taarabt was likely to leave Loftus Road this summer for a French outfit because he was "missing his family in Marseille".

However, the manager is adamant the 23-year-old, who earned the Championship's Player of the Year award after starring in Warnock's title-winning side last season, will only leave if the owners' valuation is met.

When asked whether he was resigned to losing the player, he told Sky Sports News: "No not really. Not until someone comes up with a realistic offer that the owners accept. It's nothing to do with me anymore; it's down to the owners and their valuation of the player. If they don't come up with the right fee then Adel will be back a week after next training with us."

QPR are gearing themselves up for a return to the top flight, and Warnock admits his squad needs strengthening ahead of the new campaign, although no new faces have joined the ranks yet. "Unfortunately we've not been able to sign anyone up for one reason or another, but we've just got to persevere," he said. "We've got a number of targets and I'm still optimistic that I can bring enough good players in to help us in the coming season.

"We're working hard to get value for money and I'm trying to get players in on our wage structure which we've implemented for the Premier League and, although it's difficult, I'm sure over the next four or five weeks we can get some of the players in that I want. Whatever players I get in we're going to enjoy it and have a right go. We will give people a good run for their money.

"We've been linked with a lot of players, over the last six weeks I've spoken to three or four personally but unfortunately we haven't been able to afford the transfer fees or wages but we just persevere. Everybody knows we need players, and I'm sure I can talk the owners into letting me sign one or two over the next weeks. We are down the line with a couple and Jimmy Bullard is one of a number that we're talking about. We need strikers, we need a centre half - we need a number of positions filling."

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