MARK WARBURTON has told the Glasgow Times, if his player Bright Osayi-Samuel sign a pre-contract agreement with another club he would not be considered for selection.
Celtic have been linked with the right sided winger but he isn’t available on a pre-contract until January.
Warburton has warned that any player who is looking elsewhere will be no use to him and would fall from selection.
It’s a pretty stupid attitude to take from a financial point of view, unless he’s trying to get Bright to sign a new deal. If Warburton follows through with his threat in January, QPR don’t really have a good bargaining position to grab some cash for the winger in the winter window.
“It’s about looking at what protects QPR.
“The season is starting later than normal and the January transfer window is not that far away.
“People can sign pre-contracts in January and you can have a situation where agents delay conversations, haggle – ‘I’ll come back to you next week’ – and suddenly players are signing pre-contracts.
And when a player signs a pre-contract and commits to another club, quite understandably their focus and attention drifts away from their current club.
“I understand that.
“Although these guys are highly-paid athletes and professionals they’re still young guys, many experiencing situations like this which they haven’t experienced before.
“So you have to give a lot of understanding and I do sympathise.
“But for me, I want players who want to be here and want to commit to QPR.
“I understand if they want their future away from QPR.
“But QPR has to be treated appropriately and has to act in a consistent manner which is in the best interests of the football club.
“You can’t have players just easing to a pre-contract and look to leave for free come May of 2021. That’s not going to happen here.”
Celtic could use competition in that position if Neil Lennon is not confident about bringing Karamoko Dembele through yet.
The bhoys could be waiting to make their move in January, it will all depend on what QPR do next. If Celtic can get him on a free next summer, there’s unlikely going to be any appetite to bring him in at this moment.
