QPR chasing Wells — report
English Championship side Queens Park Rangers are reportedly lining up a £3 million bid for Bradford City striker Nahki Wells that would make him Bermuda’s first million pound footballer if the deal goes through.British tabloid The Sun reported that the London club were ready to make an offer for Wells who has netted 44 goals in 96 games during his time at Bradford, including six league and cup goals this season which makes him the top scorer in League One.With the transfer window closing next Monday, Bradford have insisted Wells is not for sale but a £3 bid might be too good to turn down.Clyde Best, who was team-mate of Redknapp at West Ham in the 1960s and 1970s, said he thought that playing under the QPR boss would be a good move for Wells.“If it (rumour) is true I think it would be a great move for him,” said Best, the first Bermudian to make his mark in English football.“Harry is a people person who knows how to handle players. Everywhere he’s been he’s got results and the players love him.”QPR were relegated from the Premier League last season but are pushing for a straight return to the top flight and are in a four-way tie for first place in the Skybet Championship with 10 points from four matches.So far Redknapp has signed six players, the latest being Blackpool winger Matty Phillips. Irish defender Richard Dunne, who played alongside Shaun Goater at Manchester City, was signed for free in July after being released by Aston Villa.Wells’ scoring exploits this season have not gone unnoticed by clubs in higher divisions, though Bradford are keen to hold on to their top players as they push for another promotion.“If the move was to go through he would not be with a better manager,” said Best. “Harry knows the score, he was a player himself and understands the playing side, but the most important thing is he knows how to handle players.“Nahki is in a good situation if Harry comes in for him. If I were him and Harry came in I would go tomorrow. I wouldn’t send him anywhere where it is going to be bad for him, this would be a good situation because I know the individual personally and I know how he ticks.“As long as he works hard he will be playing, that’s the way Harry is.“Harry was a fantastic right winger when he was playing well at West Ham and was a great crosser of the ball. He was always a great guy in the dressing room.”Sometimes rumours circulating in the British tabloids are unfounded, but Best says oftentimes there was some truth to the story.“If it is in the papers nine times out of ten it is true, because you are not going to risk putting something false in the paper,” Best stated.“I would say there is probably some truth to it.“ ‘H’ is what we call a ‘wheeler and dealer’ and knows what he wants and he’s got good people working with him in Kevin Bond, whose father John used to play for West Ham, and Joe Jordan. And if he’s a centre forward, who better to teach him than big Joe who played for Leeds United and Scotland and was a hard knock back in the day.”As a goalscorer Wells is proving himself at a higher division, breaking a club record by scoring in his last eight games.“Like I said to him before he left ‘as a goalscorer your responsibility is to do one thing, score goals and as long as you are scoring goals people are going to want you’,” added Best.“You just have to continue to work hard, go back afternoons and do stuff yourself and don’t wait for coaches to tell you what you have to improve on. He scoring goals and is a natural goalscorer and has proven it the last two years.“Lets hope he continues to improve and gets to the big time. It will not only be good for him but good for us in Bermuda because it will give other players the aspiration to want to do the same thing. That’s the thing about English football, you could be playing schoolboy football and there will be somebody in the stands looking for talent.”It was reported yesterday that Redknapp was continuing to reduce the club’s hefty wage bill with midfielder Stephane M’Bia moving to Sevilla.M’Bia signed for QPR from Marseille on the final day of last season’s summer transfer window in a move which saw midfielder Joey Barton switch in the other direction.After last year’s relegation, Redknapp made it clear he was keen to ship out the club’s big earners and nearly twenty players have left the club including Jose Boswingwa, Esteban Granero and Djibril Cisse.QPR scouts watched Croatia striker Ante Rebic on Sunday night but his club RK Split want around £7 million.