"No disrespect to QPR" - Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit backs West Brom to seal Marti Cifuentes agreement | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie spoke exclusively to Football League World about West Bromwich Albion's pursuit of QPR boss Marti Cifuentes

West Bromwich Albion are in talks to raid Championship rivals QPR and appoint Marti Cifuentes as the club's next permanent manager following the sacking of Tony Mowbray earlier this month - and they have been backed to do exactly that.

According to a recent update from Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, Cifuentes' representatives have recently held talks with West Brom. It's said that these discussions have not yet reached the stage where formal permission to speak with Cifuentes himself has been requested to QPR.

However, the popular Spanish boss is reportedly unhappy at Loftus Road amid a breakdown in his relationship with R's chief executive Christian Nourry. As per reports, Cifuentes is not best pleased with the club's decision to allow director of performance Ben Williams to oversee the sports science, medical, physio and nutrition departments remotely from Dubai, and is also concerned about whether QPR can push forward to the next level.

Cifuentes guided the Hoops to survival in his first season after joining from Swedish outfit Hammarby in October 2023. However, they are set to finish the 2024/25 campaign in the lower-echelons of mid-table, having accumulated 13 victories and 53 points with a game to spare as they reside in 15th position ahead of the final day trip to Sunderland.

There is an increasing concern that Cifuentes may leave for the vacant managerial post at the Hawthorns, with the Baggies on the search for a new manager ahead of the 2025/26 term after parting ways with Mowbray to be led by former midfielder James Morrison on an interim basis until the end of the season.

Albion spent much of the season in and around the top-six but five defeats from Mowbray's final six games in charge, having only taken over from Carlos Corberan in January, threw their play-off bid off track and another campaign in the Championship was confirmed when they played out a 0-0 draw away to League One-bound Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon.

Lee Hendrie tips West Brom to appoint QPR's Marti Cifuentes

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Lee Hendrie has backed West Brom to appoint Cifuentes in the near future.

In the view of the Sky Sports pundit, the job at Albion is a sizeable step up from Cifuentes' current role with QPR and he believes it will be hard for the 42-year-old to not have his head turned.

"With Cifuentes at QPR, I've heard so many good things about him," Hendrie told FLW.

"His style, the way of his methods, I think QPR have been one of those clubs with a budget that's nowhere near and he seems to have got a hell of a lot out of some of these younger players that he's bringing in and giving the opportunities to.

"It's not an easy job to do. I know Kevin Betsy works under him at QPR and speaks very highly of his attention to detail of what he wants to do.

"The problem is, at West Bromwich Albion, that is a little bit different. Again, they've not had the funds to bring [expensive] players in, they've got a lot of older players there, it does really need a revamp and a clear identity.

"It would be a step up from QPR, there's no doubt. That's no disrespect to QPR, but a club of West Brom's stature, you'd feel it's certainly one he'd turn his head to.

"It would be a great appointment because of his way and his style of play."

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes could be West Brom's real Carlos Corberan replacement

Albion supporters lapped up the emotional homecoming of Mowbray back in January, but the truth is that he was never a real, like-for-like replacement for Corberan.

Cifuentes, however, who is also a young - and Spanish - head coach with experience working with younger players and on a limited budget, fits the bill, and there are many parallels between him and the hugely-popular Corberan.

He has not yet had the resources at QPR to truly shape the squad in his mold but would likely receive stronger backing and support with West Brom, who are better-placed to compete for Premier League football next season.