Loic Remy Transfer Rumours: Latest News and Speculation Surrounding QPR Star

Updates from Sunday, Aug. 31

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Loic Remy from Queens Park Rangers:

Earlier, Amy Lawrence of The Guardian and David Ornstein of BBC Sport report Arsenal is not expected to make a move for Loic Remy:

Updates from Saturday, Aug. 30

Duncan Castles of Sports Illustrated provides comments from Jose Mourinho, who speaks about pursuing Loic Remy:

 Ben Hampshire of Sky Sport passes along word from QPR manager Harry Redknapp:

I didn't see it coming at all," Redknapp told Sky Sports in the wake of Rangers' first victory of the season. "Maybe I'm a bit naive but I was hoping he would be with us, he's a good player and he's important to us.

"He didn't refuse to play today, I just felt when people rang me up at 12 o'clock - I didn't know anything before 12 - I needed 11 people whose mind was on getting points for QPR and to be fair to him his head is not going to be right today.

David McIntyre of West London Sport reports another team could be in the mix:

Updates from Friday, Aug. 22

QPR are convinced Loic Remy will remain at the club by the end of the transfer window.

Harry Redknapp told reporters on Friday, per the Daily Mail's Hamish Mackay:

I'm confident he (Remy) will be here (this season). He's been excellent in training and his attitudes been first class.

I think he's enjoying himself back here and he's seen we've brought some good players in.

Updates from Friday, Aug. 15

Loic Remy will stay at QPR this season unless a Champions League club makes an offer for his services.

Harry Redknapp's latest words mean a loan return to Newcastle appears out of the question, per Jacob Murtagh of the Daily Mirror:

There has been several Premier League clubs that have rung up about him but I don’t think they will be clubs he would want to leave QPR for.

I sat down with him but I didn’t have to persuade him. He said he’s back and wants to play. Unless [the chance to play in the] Champions League or something massive for him comes up he would like to stay here and play.

Updates from Friday, Aug. 1

Alan Pardew has confirmed Newcastle are watching Loic Remy with a view to a renewed move for the QPR striker.

Pardew told Lee Ryder of the Chronicle Live:

I am surprised about what’s happened with Loic because I thought he was signing for Liverpool and that door was slammed shut.

I didn’t expect that, and we certainly had no problem with Loic during his time with us. So we shall monitor it as we go along.

Updates from Thursday, July 31

Loic Remy has been told by Harry Redknapp to make a decision on his future, so that QPR can plan their return to the Premier League with or without the Frenchman.

Amid rumours of a renewed loan at Newcastle, Simon Jones of the Daily Mail quotes Redknapp saying:

We need to know whether he’s going to stay or not, because we can’t be losing him on transfer deadline day or something and then not have a striker.

If he’s going to stay we need that commitment now and we need to get him going, get him fit and get him playing.

Updates from Tuesday, July 29

Newcastle are set to offer Loic Remy as escape route from QPR by renewing their loan arrangement for the France international.

The news comes after Remy failed his Liverpool medical. Goal.com's William Joyce has the latest:

Newcastle United are considering an ambitious move for Loic Remy after the collapse of the striker's move to Liverpool.

[...]

Newcastle are unconcerned by reports that the deal was not completed because the attacker failed a medical and could move again for the 27-year-old, who spent last season on loan at St James's Park.

[...]

Goal understands that Olympique Lyonnais striker Alexander Lacazette and Lorient forward Vincent Aboubakar are also being considered as potential options.

Original Text

A degree of mystery surrounds Loic Remy's failure to pass a medical at Liverpool. Having seen his hopes of joining the Anfield outfit dashed at the final hurdle, the French striker will now return to Queens Park Rangers, as confirmed by manager Harry Redknapp via the club's official Twitter account:

Craig Hope of the Daily Mail provides additional quotes from Redknapp, which are sure to intrigue those following the collapsed deal:

I don’t see how he has failed a medical. It doesn’t make sense. He had a stringent medical here, one at Marseille, one at Newcastle and one with France before the World Cup.

[...] I can’t see a medical reason. There must be other reasons. That (failing medical) is not possible. There has to be another reason. [...] They must have changed their mind or decided to go in another direction.

Remy looked set to be one of the summer's biggest bargains at £8.5 million, a price exclusively available to the Premier League's top clubs, reported by Ben Smith of BBC Sport.

The No. 7 shirt, recently vacated by Luis Suarez, was ready for Remy's arrival, but an unknown complication ended his chances of joining Brendan Rodgers' developing squad.

The Northern Irish boss, who has already confirmed five signings during the summer transfer window, offered little explanation when acknowledging Remy's potentially career-defining hiccup, reported by Dominic King of the Daily Mail:

It's very simple we have made a decision as a club not to go ahead with the deal. It's unfortunate for the player. We are disappointed for the player but there’s nothing more to be said and we will move on and look at other targets.

Many presume a heart problem—found during Remy's 2010 medical when he moved from Nice to Marseille—is behind Liverpool's late decision to pull out.

Marseille's club doctor noted this as a "mechanical problem," reported by Simon Rice of the Independent, but it remains to be confirmed whether such concerns saw the Frenchman's hopes of a Liverpool future redacted.

Remy hasn't suffered any similar fitness problems since it was uncovered, at least not in the public eye. The Reds could now turn their focus to bringing in Wilfried Bony, according to the Mirror's David Maddock.

Jim Daly of the same publication also notes Divock Origi's deal to join the club should be announced imminently, while Southampton's Jay Rodriguez may be an alternative. 

Perhaps Origi's likely signing forced Rodgers into rethinking Remy's place at Anfield. Fabio Borini's refusal to sign for Sunderland could have also impacted the move, per Alex Harris of the Express.

Rodgers has signed Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren from Southampton this summer, forcing BT Sport presenter Jake Humphrey into a humorous analogy of why Remy's deal fell through:

For Remy, it's vital QPR now see him as a permanent fix in the side. He is a renowned goalscorer—someone who has netted 20 goals in 40 Premier League appearances, per WhoScored.com.

Redknapp isn't doing his team any favours if Remy turns out to be 100 percent fit. Many suitors are sure to hunt the 27-year-old's signature if he is proved to be fine, with Liverpool's city rivals Everton rumoured to be following his progress, according to the Telegraph's Jason Burt.

In the meantime, Liverpool need to clear the situation up and provide a valid reason for Remy's failed transfer.

It is unfair on the player to let rumours about his health fester if this wasn't the reason for pulling out, as it could potentially harm his destination after QPR. Liverpool fans will also want to know why they have missed out on the speedy striker.

We can expect this story to continue progressing, as either Redknapp or Rodgers need to come clean about the player's prolonged tenure at Loftus Road.