Adel Taarabt says he wants to stay at QPR

Adel Taarabt was furious with suggestions that he wanted to leave the club after a bust-up with the former captain

QPR star Adel Taarabt has hit out at reports suggesting he had made an ultimatum to the R’s that he would leave if Joey Barton stayed.

The 23-year-old looked destined to leave Loftus Road last summer and during the January transfer window but has now quashed all speculation by signing a new contract with the west London club.

“I don’t know where this [Barton report] came from because I never [said that],” he said.

“When I saw that, I called the QPR press office straight away and said ‘I never said that. We have to put out an article denying it’.

“I even called Joey and told him it was not true and had no problem with him.

“He has all the time helped me here. Sometimes he was hard with me but that is because we wants me to do good, so for me I don’t have a problem with Joey Barton.”