Last Updated: Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:20
Jim Magilton is set to try and scupper former club Ipswich Town's bid to take QPR left-back Damien Delaney to Portman Road.
The Northern Irish coach was appointed the R's new manager on Wednesday and one of his first tasks will be to deal with Town's reported interest in the defender.
QPR were poised to let 27-year-old Delaney join up with Roy Keane's side as long as they recouped the £1.2m they paid Hull City for him in January 2008 given that central defender Matt Connolly was preferred in the left-back position late last term. However as Magilton was a fan of Delaney while in charge at Ipswich, he will now request that he is kept at Loftus Road.
The final say rests with director Giovanni Paladini and co-owner and chairman Flavio Briatore, but it is thought that Magilton's views will be considered on the issue.
Delaney, who has two years left on his R's deal, is flattered at Ipswich and Keane's interest but is waiting to see what the club decides to do.
He said: "There's not much you can say extra about Roy Keane is there? He's Roy Keane and a bit of a legend - but we've only met a couple of times.
"I don't want to go shooting my mouth off about Ipswich without knowing whether they really want me - and whether Rangers want to let me go.
"It's one thing to be wanted - it's another for clubs to agree a transfer."