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Rangers enter talks with QPR over Michael Beale after van Bronckhurst sacking

Rangers enter talks with QPR over Michael Beale after van Bronckhurst sacking - Nigel French/PA
Rangers enter talks with QPR over Michael Beale after van Bronckhurst sacking - Nigel French/PA

Rangers have made an official approach to Queens Park Rangers for their head coach Michael Beale.

Talks are understood to be progressing over a move to appoint Beale as the successor to Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who was sacked last week after an alarming sequence of results and particularly in European competition.

Beale rejected the advances of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers in October but there are no hurdles expected in Rangers’ bid to bring the 42-year-old back to Glasgow.

His reputation within the Rangers boardroom remains high after his work alongside Steven Gerrard, where they lifted the Scottish Premiership title in 2021.

Beale departed Rangers in November last year to join Aston Villa and then took his first No 1 role at QPR this summer.

Rangers made their move for Beale earlier on Saturday and are hopeful of agreeing a deal early next week.

The Scottish club will have to pay £1.25 million in compensation to appoint Beale as manager, just shy of six months since he was brought in at Loftus Road.

Their move comes after QPR saw four defeats and one draw from the last five games before the World Cup break, leaving them outside the Championship play-off places.

After turning down Wolves, before the subsequent appointment of No 1 target Julen Lopetegui, Beale pledged his loyalty to QPR in an interview with Telegraph Sport.

Speaking about Wolves' approach at the time, Beale said his decision to stay at QPR was driven by not wanting to bring about "upheaval" to the club, himself, or his team.

"The only reasons for leaving QPR right now would be selfish ones around ego, status or finance. And that's not really me," Beale added.