Redknapp hints Magpies may have more chance of signing Remy
Harry Redknapp accepts he may be fighting a losing battle to sign Loic Remy from Marseille.
The QPR boss, who also wanted Remy when in charge at Tottenham, has hinted that a move to Newcastle may be a more attractive option for the striker if he decides to leave France.
Newcastle are keen to capture him as a replacement for Demba Ba, who recently quit St James’ Park to join Chelsea.
Remy has made it clear he does not want to join Rangers, but they are still hoping that a lucrative offer could change his mind.
“I don’t know where he’ll end up. I think Newcastle are interested but he’s also thinking about staying at Marseille,” said Redknapp.
“He’s not playing [regularly] at Marseille and I think it would have been good for him to come and play in the Premier League and try to help us stay up.
“If the worst comes to the worst and we couldn’t survive, at least he’s in the shop window and the big clubs would want him.
“And if he does score the goals we would hope he would score, then there’s every chance we would stay up.”
He added: “Newcastle are in a similar position league-wise, but Newcastle is one of the great clubs – 50-odd thousand Geordies every week in their black and white shirts – a fantastic football club.”
Rangers chairman Tony Fernandes is keen for Redknapp to make signings during the transfer window and Remy was one of the club’s top targets.
But the 25-year-old declined to even meet Redknapp when the R’s boss recently travelled to France in the hope of holding talks with him.
Redknapp explained: “He didn’t want to come to us. He didn’t even want to speak about coming.
“I went over last week to watch him play, not that I needed to as I watched him about seven times when I was at Tottenham.
“I couldn’t even get a meeting with him. I was hoping to talk to him to encourage him to come.
“I think he was in a position where, when I was at Tottenham, he was interested in coming and I got on well with the lad so he would have felt embarrassed coming to say he didn’t want to come to QPR.
“He wasn’t being disrespectful. He was just in a position he didn’t know how to handle, so I’ve got no problems with him.
“He may change his mind, you don’t know. I wouldn’t write him off completely. I’d like to get him if possible but it’s not going to be easy.”
Click here for our QPR v Tottenham quiz
Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook
