Martí Cifuentes’ future at QPR is uncertain, putting Norwich City and West Brom on alert as they search for new managers.
According to The Sun, the Spaniard is contemplating leaving Loftus Road due to a strained relationship with CEO Christian Nourry. Nourry, who joined QPR in January 2024, has clashed with Cifuentes over the club’s direction.
While it’s been a mixed season for QPR, Cifuentes has clearly improved their fortunes since his arrival from Hammarby in October 2023.
When he took over, Rangers were 23rd in the Championship with just eight points from 14 games. They now sit 15th, comfortably above the relegation zone.
If Cifuentes does decide to move on, it would be a significant setback for QPR, especially given his impact over the past 18 months.
Moreover, it’s likely that other Championship clubs would express interest in him. Norwich and West Brom, in particular, are monitoring the situation closely after parting ways with managers Johannes Hoff Thorup and Tony Mowbray earlier this week.
Cifuentes has revitalized QPR with an exciting, attack-minded approach, achieving stability despite limited resources.
He also reconnected the club with its fanbase, following a turbulent period under previous managers like Gareth Ainsworth, Michael Beale, Neil Critchley, and Mark Warburton.
His ability to restore QPR’s credibility while working within financial constraints has surely caught the eye of Norwich and West Brom—two clubs with greater resources and stronger Premier League ambitions.
Both spent much of this season battling for play-off spots before falling short, leading to their managerial changes. With better infrastructure and budgets, they could offer Cifuentes a much more enticing project than QPR currently can.
Although it’s possible that Cifuentes and Nourry could resolve their differences, the lure of a move to Carrow Road or the Hawthorns could prove hard to resist.
Both Norwich and West Brom will be aiming for immediate promotion pushes, and both have the recent Premier League pedigree that QPR lack. QPR have only spent three seasons in the top flight since 2000, compared to Norwich’s seven and West Brom’s thirteen.
Naturally, QPR fans will be desperate for Cifuentes to stay, but if he leaves, Norwich and West Brom would be landing a highly capable manager ready to elevate a squad—and he would be a tough loss for Loftus Road.
