QPR transfer twist emerges as £1.7m deal is avoided | OneFootball

Vitoria de Guimaraes agreed a £1.7 million option to buy as part of Hevertton Santos' January loan move from QPR

Hevertton Santos is set to return to QPR this summer following a loan spell with Vitoria de Guimaraes.

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, the Liga Nos side are not planning on triggering a buy option clause that was negotiated as part of his January loan move.

The defender only joined the Championship club last summer, arriving from Estrela de Amadora, but struggled for consistent game time.

This led to a temporary exit in the winter market, going back to Portugal, where he made six appearances for the side as they finished sixth in the top flight table.

Hevertton Santos’ QPR return

Santos is set to return to QPR this summer after Vitoria decided not to trigger the buy option clause in his loan deal.

It is understood that the deal for the 24-year-old was worth €2 (£1.7) million, but Rangers will now receive nothing ahead of his return to Loftus Road.

It remains to be seen whether Santos has a future with the London outfit after this loan spell in which he failed to make much of an impact.

Martí Cifuentes has departed QPR, meaning a new manager could lead to a fresh opportunity to earn his way into the team next season.

Santos made his debut for the second division side in an EFL Cup clash against Cambridge United back in August, but was unable to convince the Spaniard that he should be in the team on a regular basis.

He similarly struggled back in Portugal, starting two of his six league appearances for Vitoria.

Hevertton Santos’ impact at QPR

Santos made his first appearance in the Championship with a start against Sheffield Wednesday in September, with the sides drawing 1-1.

The defender started just three more times before going out on loan, although he showed a versatility that could be useful to the team next season.

He was used as a full-back on both flanks, as well as at centre-back, which could be enticing for the next manager if he can improve his levels of performance.

QPR ultimately finished 15th in the Championship, earning 56 points.

Santos return won’t come as a surprise

Santos didn’t quite make things work for Vitoria, so it’s not surprising that they won’t trigger the £1.7 million.

While his time at QPR hasn’t lived up to expectations so far, there is still a useful player in there somewhere that could do good things for the club.

It will be up to the next manager to decide whether he’s someone that should remain with the team next season.