The Players QPR Supposedly Chasing - Updated

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UPDATED: And a slightly different version in the Ealing Times, with a few additional players mentioned:

David McIntyre/Ealing Gazette- Harewood and Zamora top Dowie wish-list Rs also pursuing Spurs defender Gardner after cooling interest in Shittu

MARLON Harewood, Bobby Zamora and Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner have emerged as QPR's top targets, but the club are ready to abandon their attempt to bring Dan Shittu back to Loftus Road.

Rangers were this week planning to approach Aston Villa ahead of a possible bid for 28-year-old striker Harewood, who has started just one Premiership match since moving from West Ham for £4million last summer.

West Ham forward Zamora, 27, was earmarked as a potential signing some time ago and Rangers are stepping up their interest following the appointment of Iain Dowie as manager.

Dowie is an admirer of the former Tottenham man and would love to sign him if a deal can be thrashed out.

But the longstanding bid to re-sign Shittu from Watford is all but dead.

Watford seem be holding out for around £4million for the Nigerian international - far more than Rangers are willing to shell out and other clubs are targeting him.

Shittu, who left to join the Hornets in 2006, has been linked with Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic and a number of Premier League clubs have shown an interest.

That now makes it highly unlikely Watford will be forced to settle for a price of around £2million, which the Rs were looking to pay.

The club are now looking elsewhere for a centre-back and Gardner, 26, is currently top of their list.

Gardner has been with Tottenham for eight-and-a-half years and won an England cap in 2004, but he has been plagued by injuries and is expected to leave White Hart Lane this summer. He ended the season on loan at Everton.

With three ambitious signings in mind, Rangers have a contingency plan should their pursuit come to nothing and a number of other players have been lined up, some of whom play abroad.

Those based in England include Blackpool's Latvian centre-back Kaspars Gorkss and Leicester defender Gareth McAuley.

Left-winger Wes Hoolahan, also of Blackpool, has attracted Rangers' interest but the club remain keen on Lee Cook and Plymouth's Peter Halmosi.

Highly-rated wide-man Halmosi has been a target since his fellow Hungarian Akos Buzsaky moved to west London from Plymouth last season.

Plymouth want £2.5million for him and Halmosi is wanted by several other clubs, although QPR still fancy their chances of capturing him.

But another Hungarian Plymouth player, Krisztian Timar, will not be signing. Like Halmosi, the commanding centre-back has been a longstanding target but Timar suffered a fractured forehead during Argyle's final-day match against Wolves and is expected to be sidelined for some time.

As for Cook, Rangers have temporarily ended discussions with Fulham having failed to agree a fee for his return.

Hampered by a knee injury since leaving W12 last year, Cook has not appeared in a competitive match for Fulham and although QPR want him back, they are unwilling to pay the £2.5million price they have been quoted until he proves his long-term fitness.

A season-long loan deal is now their aim but that will not be up for discussion until Fulham manager Roy Hodgson assesses his squad later in the summer.

The same applies with Martin Cranie, who is also wanted on loan if a deal for the England U21 defender's permanent signing from Portsmouth cannot be agreed.

That means Rangers must again wait, this time for Pompey boss Harry Redknapp to decide which players he wants for the new season.

In the meantime, QPR continue to be linked with a host of other players. They include striker Clinton Morrison, who played under Dowie at Crystal Palace, but for now, he is not a target.

Neither is Freddy Eastwood. Rangers did make enquires about the Wolves forward but have since cooled their interest and Dowie is keen to add more of a physical presence up front.

Rangers were at one stage very interested in Nathan Ellington but backed away after making enquires about the Watford striker, who looks set to join Derby. Ealing Gazette





QPR LATEST by DAVE MCINTYRE/Kilburn Times
Dowie chasing top fight trio
MARLON Harewood, Bobby Zamora and Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner have emerged as QPR's top targets, but the club are ready to abandon their attempt to bring Dan Shittu back to Loftus Road.
Rangers were this week planning to approach Aston Villa ahead of a possible bid for 28-year-old striker Harewood, who has started just one Premiership match since moving from West Ham for £4million last summer.
West Ham forward Zamora, 27, was earmarked as a potential signing some time ago and Rangers are stepping up their interest following the appointment of Iain Dowie as manager.
Dowie is an admirer of the former Tottenham man and would love to sign him if a deal can be thrashed out.
But the longstanding bid to re-sign Shittu from Watford is all but dead. Watford seem to be holding out for around £4million for the Nigeria international - far more than Rangers are willing to shell out - and other clubs are targeting him.
Shittu, who left to join the Hornets in 2006, has been linked with Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic and a number of Premier League clubs are also interested.
That now makes it highly unlikely Watford will be forced to settle for a price of around £2million, which was what Rangers were looking to pay.
The club are now looking elsewhere for a centre-back and Gardner, 26, is currently top of their list.
Gardner has been with Tottenham for eight-and-a-half years and won an England cap in 2004, but he has been plagued by injuries and is expected to leave White Hart Lane this summer. He ended the season on loan at Everton.
With three ambitious signings in mind, Rangers have a contingency plan should their pursuit come to nothing and a number of other players have been lined up, some of whom play abroad.
Those based in England include Blackpool's Latvian centre-back Kaspars Gorkss and Leicester's Gareth McAuley.
Left-winger Wes Hoolahan, also of Blackpool, has attracted Rangers' interest but the club remain keen on Lee Cook and Plymouth's Peter Halmosi.
Highly-rated wide-man Halmosi has been a target since his fellow Hungarian Akos Buzsaky moved to west London from Plymouth last season.
Plymouth want £2.5million for him and Halmosi is wanted by several other clubs, although QPR still fancy their chances of capturing him.
As for Cook, Rangers have temporarily ended discussions with Fulham having failed to agree a fee for his return.
Hampered by a knee injury since leaving W12 last year, Cook has not appeared in a competitive match for Fulham and although QPR want him back, they are unwilling to pay the £2.5million price until he proves his long-term fitness.
A season-long loan deal is now Rangers' best chance of getting Cook back to Loftus Road. The same applies to Martin Cranie if a deal for the England Under-21 defender's permanent signing from Portsmouth cannot be agreed. Kilburn Times