Manager Alan Irvine explained that Patrick Agyemang was left out of the New Year's Day defeat at Sheffield Wednesday because the striker is set for a move to his native London with big-spending QPR.

The North End boss admitted that he didn't want to lose one of the quickest players on the Deepdale books, but ultimately the lure of the Capital and a far greater wage offer than North End were able to make have proved decisive in his decision to leave the Club during the current transfer window. Irvine claimed:

"It looks like Patrick will be leaving us. He's been aware of a very good offer from Queen's Park Rangers and it's an offer that's out of our league.

"Patrick has played in the last few games in the knowledge that this move was pending and I appreciate what he's done for us in that respect. I know that he's been getting more and more nervous about injury as the time has gone on and we've got closer to the window opening. It was probably asking a lot of him to have put him out there today which is why he was left out.

"When the deal will happen I'm not quite sure but it's really a case of when it will happen rather than if it will happen. We can't match what QPR are prepared to offer Patrick and it's an opportunity for him to move back down to London which he's keen to do as well.

"Whilst we were making an offer to Patrick, it can't live up to what QPR can do nowadays. I'm disappointed because I wanted to keep him and perhaps if Patrick had been playing regularly earlier on this season we might have been able to keep him, and I've been using him more than he's probably been used in recent years. He's a threat because of his pace, which is obviously something that everybody is looking for.

"There are other clubs interested in Patrick, but the one from QPR is the one firm offer that we've received."

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