This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.
Real Madrid could be set to trump Liverpool and Manchester United to the signature of QPR sensation Adel Taarabt.
The Rangers ace has become one of the hottest properties in Europe after almost single-handedly guiding the west Londoners to promotion with 19 goals and a string of dazzling displays.
Taarabt was linked with a move to United before he joined QPR from Tottenham last summer, but it seemed Liverpool had moved to the front of the queue for the Moroccan schemer.
Damien Comolli, now at Anfield, was the man responsible for bringing Taarabt to England in 2007, and with the Reds desperately seeking a creative spark for next season, Liverpool's director of football was rumoured to be gearing up to pounce once again.
But Real's reported interest could change everything, with the forward allegedly telling his team-mates that he's on Jose Mourinho's radar.
The 21-year-old is known to believe that he's destined for the big time, and a switch to the Bernabeu may be too tempting to resist for the headstrong playmaker.
Rangers will be desperate to keep hold of their captain as they prepare for life in the Premier League, but a big-money offer may force their hand, meaning former club Spurs would be in for a bumper cash injection.
Harry Redknapp sold his starlet to the Championship side for just £1miilion with a massive sell-on fee inserted into the deal, so Spurs could be entitled to as much as 50 per cent of any future transfer.
Meanwhile, Taarabt has urged the FA not to punish the team over seven counts of wrongdoing relating to the signing of Argentinian midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in 2009.
"It would destroy me and it would destroy my teammates," said Taarabt on the possibility of a points deduction.
"We have not cheated. We have played every match with 11 v 11 players on the pitch. We never did anything wrong.
"If there are problems with things upstairs then surely that it is to do with them, not the team.
"It would be a disaster for every player. But what can we do?
"We have done our best. We have won the Championship. If the FA take that away, I will still tell people I am a champion."
Source: Metro
This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.
This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.
Tagged: Adel Taarabt , Taarabt