QPR forward Adel Taarabt linked with £12m switch to Manchester United

Sale of Taarabt would raise funds for new players at QPR

Robin van Persie of Manchester United competes with Adel Taarabt of Queens Park Rangers (Getty Images)

Adel Taarabt has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United according to reports today.

The QPR trickster who was instrumental in the west London side's promotion to the Premier League is a regular in the transfer rumour mill having been coy over his future in the past.

Before Tony Fernandes' takeover of the club in 2011 the Moroccan international was linked with a switch to a host of clubs, particularly Paris St Germain. With the new owner investing heavily in the club Taarabt remained at Loftus Road.

Taarabt has failed to recapture the consistent form of QPR's promotion winning season since moving up a division, scoring just four Premier League goals. Yet recent matches have seen some of the sparkle that caught everyone's attention a couple of years ago, and Sir Alex Ferguson has apparently been paying attention.

It's claimed United will make a £12m bid in January to take the 23-year-old to Old Trafford.

While it may seem unlikely that a club in QPR's current predicament would part with one of their best players, new manager Harry Redknapp may view it as an opportunity to raise some funds.

The former Tottenham manager is renowned for his canny deals and acquisitions in the transfer market and may be able to invest any money raised in positions QPR desperately need - in particular central defence and attack.

QPR have been linked with Tottenham defender Michael Dawson, a player they came close to signing in the summer. Strikers Darren Bent and Peter Crouch, both of whom have played under Redknapp in the past, have also been linked with a move to Loftus Road.