QUEENS Park Rangers CEO Christian Nourry has explained the change in policy that means the club won’t publicly disclose the lengths of contracts for new permanent signings.
In contrast to summer recruits when the club led their official announcements with the lengths of contracts, including options, signed by the likes of Jack Colback and Paul Smyth, the R’s made no mention of the agreements for Michael Frey and Lucas Andersen.
QPR were relatively busy last month as they also added Isaac Hayden and Joe Hodge on loan from Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively, to Marti Cifuentes’ squad as they battle relegation.
It has become more common for clubs not to confirm the lengths of deals, something that seems to irk supporters. A member of a recruitment department that South London spoke to explained that with rival clubs having large databases of players, they want to try to make that information less easily available as they compete for signings.
Nourry, 26, joined the club last month from football advisory business Retexo.
Nourry explained QPR’s policy.
“We are in a unique context. I don’t care whether you have four years or four months remaining on your contract. We are all going into battle together for a common goal which is to attempt to keep this club in the Championship,” Nourry said on the club’s website.
“The club’s policy on all contracts going forward is simple: We won’t be making an announcement on their lengths.
“We know what we are working towards with each player’s situation and we understand where the development of those contracts can go.
“But I think it is important for the club as an institution to work as hard and as smart in the market as possible, and that includes taking this step for strategic purposes.”
QPR had to balance financial fair play demands in January, making space in their squad and budget with the loan departures of Andre Dozzell (Birmingham City), Stephen Duke McKenna (Sutton United), Charlie Kelman (Wigan Athletic) and Deon Woodman (Wealdstone).
Nourry added: “The process has worked well between a data screen, video and live scouting screen, the deal-making reality and my perspective.
“We were then able to compile a list of names in the positions we wanted to strengthen, and sit down – myself, the recruitment department and Marti – to discuss what we do.
“Due to the nature of some of these signings, in this case the two loans which are short-term, it was vital that we were all completely aligned in the view they could add value.
“It’s important to note that there will be a demarcation between what happens in January and what happens going forward, as we will have more time as a collective to prepare, but I am delighted to say that everybody played an important part in the recruitment process, and, given our financial context, we are all happy with how things have gone.”
