QPR miss Out on Swedish Defender as Arsenal Rumours Persist

West Bromwich Albion have rejected an offer from Queens Park Rangers believed to worth £5million for their Swedish defender Jonas Olsson.

The Guardian has reported that Olsson, who signed a four-year contract in October, is said to be keen on a move to London for family reasons but is unsure about a move to QPR because of their current league position.

QPR remain bottom of the Premier League and manager Harry Redknapp is desperate to find a suitable replacement for centre-back Ryan Nelsen who decided to accept an offer to coach MLS side Toronto FC.

The 35-year-old had been one of the top performers for QPR and it seems Redknapp believes that Olsson would be an adequate replacement for the former Tottenham defender.

However, West Brom boss Steve Clarke immediately turned down the offer and has insisted that he is under no pressure to sell in January.

Why would I expect to lose Jonas in January? January is the silly season. We can hang on to every single player. We don't have to sell anybody," said Clarke.

Olsson has been linked with Arsenal and there have been suggestions that he would be interested in moving to north London.

"Jonas loves it at West Brom but there are personal reasons why he wants to go to London. It is about his family. But it has been a hard decision as West Brom have been great for him," a source close to the player told The Sun.

Arsenal have struggled to keep clean sheets in recent months and Olsson would certainly offer plenty of Premier League experience. There is also a suggestion that he would be available for as little as £4million due to a release clause in his contract.

Olsson has spent more than four years at the Hawthornes and in the past few years has become a regular for Sweden, amassing 16 caps after only making his debut in 2010.