Queens Park Rangers are preparing to cut their losses on Rio Ferdinand in January in a move that would heap more pressure on Harry Redknapp, the manager, who had a row with the club’s owners over signing the centre back in the summer.

With Rangers bottom of the Barclays Premier League, the Loftus Road hierarchy is unhappy with a number of players, but Ferdinand appears to be one of the main targets after some of his recent displays and it is believed that they will try to offload the former England defender in the next transfer window.

Ferdinand, who will be 36 next month, missed the vastly improved performance in the dramatic 3-2 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday through illness. His protracted signing led to