QPR’s Traore confirms Crystal Palace snub
Armand Traore has confirmed he has rejected a move from QPR to Crystal Palace.
Former Rangers manager Neil Warnock, who brought Traore, 24, to west London from Arsenal for £2m in 2011, made a bid after returning to Palace for a second spell in charge at Selhurst Park.
The offer, described as “very good” by boss Harry Redknapp, was accepted by Rangers.
“Now we’re back in the Premier League I’m not going to leave after I’ve just signed a new contract.” – Armand Traore
But Traore, who signed a new contract only weeks ago, has told chief executive Philip Beard he is reluctant to make the move.
“I’ve spoken to Phil and I think I’m going to stay. I didn’t sign a contract to move on,” he said.
“I could have left before for a Champions League club, Benfica, but I stayed and grafted in the Championship and now we’re back in the Premier League I’m not going to leave after I’ve just signed a new contract.”
He faces a fight for a first-team place, though, with Yun Suk-Young likely to move ahead of him in the pecking order after the international break. The South Korean has been nursing a slight injury.
Redknapp, who is set to give Yun a chance to impress, was unhappy with Traore’s display in the recent 4-0 defeat at Tottenham – a performance the player admits was “a disaster”.
Traore added: “After maybe 25 seconds I gave the ball away and that sort of thing is really contagious.
“We always say the first three or four things you do you have to make sure you do them well.
“I’m trying to improve. Because people in football told me how much talent I’ve got I think I relied on that a bit.
“It takes a lot more than that – you have to do everything [right] off the pitch and concentrate on your football.
“After going up to the Premier League I thought ‘I’m going to give it a good shot – give it everything that needs to be done to perform at my best’.”
Another QPR player who started the season with high hopes was Alejandro Faurlin, only for the popular midfielder to suffer cruciate knee ligament damage for the third time in as many years.
He faces another long spell on the sidelines and Senegal international Traore says the news deeply upset Faurlin’s Rangers team-mates.
Traore said: “I’m gutted for him. The guy worked so hard and it’s come back to him.
“I personally think, with the African culture I’ve got, when things like this happen in my country where I grew up it’s like somebody must have done something dodgy to you like black magic or something.
“When I heard the news I felt stick to the stomach.”
Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook
