Queens Park Rangers have completed the signing of full-back Armand Traore from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.
Full-back arrives at Loftus Road from Arsenal on three-year deal
Queens Park Rangers have completed the signing of full-back Armand Traore from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.
QPR manager Neil Warnock has brought in Traore on a three-year deal as he continues to bolster his squad before the close of the transfer window.
Traore has been with the Gunners since the start of his professional career and was tipped for a bright future when he broke into the first team as a teenager.
However, he has struggled to remain consistent and has spent time out on loan at Portsmouth and Juventus over the past few years.
Despite having slipped a long way down the pecking order at Emirates Stadium, he has still been required by Arsene Wenger during the early part of this season following a spate of injuries and suspensions.
He remains only 21 and will be hoping to get his career back on track at Loftus Road with newly-promoted QPR.
Passionate
Traore becomes the third signing of the Tony Fernandes era, following Joey Barton and Luke Young, and he is looking forward to the challenge ahead.
"When I talked to Neil Warnock he was very passionate about what I could bring to the club," Traore told the club's
official website.
"He was very motivated about playing me week in, week out, and that's what I need at this stage of my career.
"I've not been able to prove and show what I'm all about because I've been at two big, big clubs like Juventus and Arsenal.
"I'm looking forward to coming here and playing regular football.
"The ambition of the new owners and the calibre of players they are signing is something that really attracted me to the club."
Number one target
Traore will wear the number 13 jersey at the West London club and Warnock is delighted to have secured his signature.
"Armand has been my number one defensive target for a while now," he said.
"I've been speaking to Arsene (Wenger) for a couple of weeks.
"He's a young and exciting lad who I think can only get better playing for a side like ourselves on a regular basis. He needs games and he'll get that here.
"Nobody has seen the best of him yet, but over the next couple of years I'm confident he'll show the quality that I clearly believe he has.
"He'll be a great outlet for us down that left hand side. He's got all the attributes you need to be a top, top defender."
