Ambitious QPR close in on Park
Reuters - Saturday 07 July 2012, 14:14
Queens Park Rangers
have agreed to sign South Korean midfielder Park Ji-sung from
Manchester United, British media reported on Saturday.
QPR owner Tony Fernandes would not confirm the signing but
told Reuters at the British Formula One Grand Prix that the club
would be making an announcement on Monday.
"Lots is happening in the club. We've signed five players,
we've got a few more to announce," said the Malaysian aviation
entrepreneur.
Reports said the agreement, which could potentially be worth five million pounds, will cost QPR an initial
transfer fee of two million for the 31-year-old who, a year ago,
signed a two-year deal to stay at United until the end of the
2012/13 season.
Park, who has made over 200 appearances for United since
joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2005, has a reputation as a big
game player able to relentlessly break up opposition attacks and
send his own team-mates on the offensive.
He was the first Asian to compete in a Champions League
final in 2009, and won four Premier League titles at United. The
former captain of his country, he made 100 appearances for South
Korea between 2000 and 2011.
South Korea is also an important growth area for Fernandes'
AirAsia airline.
Park would be the second United player to move to QPR this
week following young defender Fabio da Silva who has joined on a
season-long loan deal.
MORE SIGNINGS
Fabio, who can play at full-back or in midfield, has played
53 times for United, but has rarely been a first-choice starter.
He should get plenty of opportunities as QPR bid to
establish themselves in the Premier League after staying up on
the last day of the season following their promotion in 2011.
Fernandes said the club would probably sign three or four
more players on top of those already announced before the start
of the Premier League season.
"What [manager] Mark [Hughes] would like to do is have two
people in each position," he said. "Now whether we get to that
situation..."
QPR are also planning a new 40-45,000 seater stadium in West
London and have hired architects Populous, who designed the new
London Olympic Stadium and Silverstone's Wing pit and paddock
complex.
That would be more than double the capacity of QPR's current
Loftus Road home. Fernandes said those plans were looking good
and a preferred site had been identified in the White City area.
"We could have sold 20,000 season tickets easily and I think
with the investment in the squad and some of the ambitions that
we have, and the catchment area that we are in, I don't envisage
that it will be difficult to fill up," he added.
He said Populous would also be helping him with his new
Caterham Formula One team headquarters at Leafield in central
England as well as the development of QPR's new training ground
in Ealing, west London.
"I'd like to try and make a Formula One, Caterham Cars, QPR
kind of concept with maybe a hotel in the middle, kind of health
and leisure," he added.