QPR look to free agent as potential replacement for Celtic target Asmir Begovic | OneFootball

The Hoops are said to be lining up a move for the 30-year-old following his departure from Gent

Queens Park Rangers are said to be interested in a deal to bring goalkeeper Paul Nardi to the club, according to French journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter.

The 30-year-old is a free agent following his released from Belgian side Gent this summer, with his contract set to elapse at the end of the week.

The shot-stopper joined the Jupiler Pro League side from Lorient in the summer of 2022, and has featured 34 times in league competition since then, although last season saw him play just 10 games due to injury.

The update from France comes as the deadline for current R’s goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to decide on his future looms, with the Bosnian’s deal at Loftus Road also ending at the end of the month and linked with a move to Celtic.

Queens Park Rangers target free agent goalkeeper Paul Nardi after Gent release

Nardi has a wealth of experience under his belt during his career, having played over 200 league matches for clubs across Belgium and France.

Having started out at Nancy, the custodian played over 50 times for the Ligue 2 club before making the move to AS Monaco, for a fee said to be in the region of £2.5 million.

Game time was limited in the microstate though, with three loan spells at Cercle Brugge coming before a move to Lorient, where he won the French second division in his first season at the club, before featuring regularly in Ligue 1 in the two years that followed.

Having moved to Gent in 2022, he was a regular between the sticks - with 12 clean sheets over the 34 league appearances for the club - before an injury in his side’s Europa Conference League clash with Zorya in November saw him ruled out for the majority of the campaign.

And according to Toubache-Ter, Rangers are keen to make the glovesman theirs this summer, with the journalist posting on X on Wednesday morning that the West London side are ‘pushing hard’ to get him signed.

Queens Park Rangers signing Paul Nardi could end Asmir Begovic contract conundrum

The time is ticking, and the Hoops are no closer to knowing if Begovic will sign a new deal with the club before his current contract expires on June 30th.

The former Chelsea man [pictured] kept 13 clean sheets in the Championship last season, and was a major factor in his side’s survival bid under Marti Cifuentes, but is yet to commit his future to the club this summer.

It seems the West Londoners may be looking to Nardi as a potential replacement for Begovic.

The 37-year-old has previously stated that he would be keen to stay at Loftus Road beyond the summer, but is still assessing his options before making any decision on the season ahead.

Scottish giants Celtic are said to be interested in making a move for the shot-stopper, while former club AFC Bournemouth have also been rumoured to be considering bringing him back to the Vitality Stadium, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon.