The former QPR skipper joined Real Salt Lake this summer, but not before declining the Rs unusual new terms to stay with them.
Former Queens Park Rangers defender Nedum Onuoha has admitted that the Championship club wanted him to carry on playing for them for free, shedding light on how hard times appear to be at Loftus Road.
According to BBC Sport, Onuoha declined QPR’s terms which would have seen the 31-year-old offered ‘incentive-based against appearances’ but unsurprisingly, the former Manchester City graduate rejected the Rs’ offer.
A move across the pond followed soon after but from a Rangers perspective, it openly demonstrates how difficult it appears to be for the west Londoners to retain out of contract players – or even sign players on cash deals.
“I’d only missed about 10 weeks of football in three years so I felt it wasn’t right, especially as I knew they were trying to recruit other players for similar or more money,” Onuoha said.
Steve McClaren’s side have been restricted to free agents and loan signings this summer and due to July’s Financial Fair Play outcome, the Hoops are unable to register new players in the January transfer window.
QPR’s Premier League venture and ultimate promotion back to England’s top tier in 2014 have hurt them financially, and now it’s time to start balancing the books to secure the long-term future of the club.
After six-and-a-half-years at the club, Onuoha would have most likely, in an ordinary situation, extended his own future at Loftus Road but the financial constraints are becoming plainly evident.
With a number of players out of contract this summer, it’ll be interesting to see what happens between now and the end of the season but Rangers will potentially have to get used to a high player turnover for the next few seasons at least.
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