"A question you can ask the CEO" - Marti Cifuentes responds on QPR contract issue | OneFootball

Jimmy Dunne's contract expires at the end of the season, but Cifuentes was keen to pass responsibility on to the board.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes refused to talk about Jimmy Dunne’s contract situation after the Hoops defeated Preston North End 2-1 on Saturday.

Dunne netted an 89th minute winner to snatch all three points for Cifuentes’ men and extend the gap between them and the Championship’s drop zone to seven points.

The defender has played every single minute of QPR’s current seven-match unbeaten run, which stretches back to 23rd November, but Cifuentes was tight-lipped about Dunne’s future, instead passing on responsibility to the board.

Dunne has been a key figure for the Hoops this season, and everyone at the club will be keen to see him extend his Loftus Road stay beyond the end of this season. However, they are running out of time to reach an agreement.

Cifuentes doesn’t want to discuss Dunne’s contract in detail

Dunne’s contract at QPR is due to expire in the summer and the Irishman revealed a few weeks ago that he had not yet spoken with the club about extending his time in West London.

Speaking after the game on Saturday, Cifuentes was similarly reluctant to go into detail about the prospects of Dunne turning out for the Hoops again next season.

He said: “I never speak about contracts.

“It’s a question you can ask the CEO (Christian Nourry).”

Nevertheless, Cifuentes did at least drop a hint as to the outcome he would like to see.

He said: “The reality is that Jimmy is a very important player for us and I really like him.

“He plays with a big heart and soul every game, and he has the capacity to impact the last third.

“These kinds of players help us to be the core of the team. Jimmy, Sam (Field), (Steve) Cook, Jake (Clarke-Salter). The guys that know the league and know English football sustain the team’s performances.”

Losing Dunne in the summer would undoubtedly be a huge blow for QPR.

The 27-year-old has stepped up to become one of the Hoops’ key figures under Cifuentes.

He’s been ever present in the Championship this term and has adapted well to Cifuentes’ tactical alterations, capably filling in at both right-back and centre half when needed.

He scored a stoppage time screamer on the volley to seal victory in a huge relegation ‘six pointer’ against Birmingham towards the back end of last season and his goalscoring feats have even continued into this term, with the defender sat on three league goals already.

The former Burnley and Sunderland man is into his fourth season at Loftus Road, having triggered an automatic extension to his contract the end of last season.

For all the recent optimism at QPR, Dunne’s situation is something which is providing uncertainty and both Cifuentes and the fans will want it sorted as quickly as possible.

It’s imperative that QPR at the very least seek assurances from Dunne that he would be interested in extending his stay, or they risk losing a very dependable Championship defender on a free transfer in the summer.