Mark Hughes is on the brink of becoming the next manager of Queens Park Rangers after holding talks at Loftus Road to discuss the vacancy.
The former Wales, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham manager was partnered by adviser Kia Joorabchian as QPR look to move swiftly to replace Neil Warnock following his dismissal on Sunday.
It is understood Tony Fernandes, the QPR owner, was leading the talks, despite announcing yesterday that he was due to fly to China for a vital business meeting regarding his AirAsia airline.
Philip Beard, the QPR chief executive, had vowed the club would act "very quickly" to bring in a new boss following Warnock's departure after 22 months in charge.
A run of eight Premier League matches without a win, in which QPR mustered just two points, cost Warnock his job, leaving the club in 17th, one point above the relegation zone.
Although the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Rafael Benitez, Roberto di Matteo, and Sven Goran Eriksson have been linked with the position, Hughes has been the leading candidate from the off.
The Welshman arrived at QPR with Joorabchian yesterday afternoon, seemingly to thrash out terms with the club.
Beard told Sky Sports News yesterday: "I think we've some people at the club who can help us in the very, very short term, but we'll try and move very quickly and get things sorted."
One of the reasons behind the club's fast thinking is not just the forthcoming games, but also to give Hughes as much time as possible to act in the transfer market.
It is understood a sizeable budget is available, with QPR already having had a bid of £5 million (Dh28.3m) rejected by Blackburn for the defender Chris Samba.
Beard said: "We're already moving into the second week of January. The reality is there are some funds there and we've got to make the right purchases. It's a tricky month to try and make things happen.
"But our appetite is to bring one or two players in, if we can, to strengthen the squad, and the new manager will be part of that."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
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Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
TO%20CATCH%20A%20KILLER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDamian%20Szifron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Ben%20Mendelsohn%2C%20Ralph%20Ineson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
