Middlesbrough: Neil Warnock reveals previous Adel Taarabt transfer talk after QPR success | OneFootball

Neil Warnock has revealed he had the chance to sign Adel Taarabt at Middlesbrough after the duo enjoyed so much success at QPR.

Neil Warnock has revealed that Adel Taarabt wanted to join him at Middlesbrough, although he joked that working with the attacking midfielder once was enough in his career.

The Moroccan international has had a very interesting career, which has seen him play for Spurs, AC Milan and Benfica, whilst he is currently in the UAE with Al-Nasr.

However, he is best remembered in England for his time with QPR, with Taarabt making over 150 appearances for the R’s.

Neil Warnock explains how Adel Taarabt nearly joined Middlesbrough

During his time in west London, Taarabt’s best season undoubtedly came under Warnock, as he scored 19 goals and registered 21 assists as QPR won the Championship, in what was arguably the best individual year ever seen in the second tier.

And, speaking on BBC 5 Live, Warnock revealed how he was warned against Taarabt when he joined QPR, as well as explaining why he turned down the chance to take him to Middlesbrough later in his career.

“I remember the first training session, it was a red hot day, and he’s got black gloves on. I said, ‘who’s that?’ and they said ‘you don’t want to know him gaffer, that’s Taarabt, he’ll get you the sack’.

“Sometimes, when you look at players, you look at what they’re not good at, instead of looking at what they are good at, and his talent was unbelievable.

“I only had one season (with him). Only about two years ago, I was at Middlesbrough, and he texted me saying ‘gaffer I’ll come’, and he did look well, he did look fit, and he’d text to say he’d come and play for me, that he was fit.

“And, I text him back saying ‘Adel, once in my lifetime is enough for you, I can’t do any more than once’!”

Adel Taarabt would’ve been a risk for Middlesbrough

Obviously, if Taarabt could’ve got anywhere near the levels he had shown under Warnock at QPR in a Boro shirt, then it would be a no-brainer to bring him into the club.

But, that was almost a decade on, and Taarabt had reinvented himself as a player to a degree, as he started to play deeper, so it’s unlikely he would’ve been the same player.

There would always be doubts about whether he could cope with the physical demands and intensity of the Championship, so you can understand why Warnock steered clear of that one, even if it would’ve been great to see how it played out.