Championship side Queens Park Rangers (QPR) has announced the signing of experienced right-back Tariq Lamptey on a free transfer, marking a new chapter for the 25-year-old defender after a injury-plagued spell at Italy’s Serie A club Fiorentina.
Lamptey only spent 10 months at Fiorentina, having moved to the Italian top-flight side from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in September 2025. But his time in Italy was cut short by a serious knee injury that limited him to just two first-team appearances for the club before his departure.
A product of Chelsea’s famed youth academy, Lamptey kicked off his senior career at Stamford Bridge, where he made his Premier League debut against Arsenal. He then made the switch to Brighton, now known as the Seagulls, where he went on to establish himself as a first-team regular, racking up more than 120 appearances across all competitions during his tenure at the club.
On the international stage, Lamptey has a unique representative history: he initially featured twice for England’s U-21 national side before switching his international allegiance to Ghana, the country of his heritage. He went on to represent Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has earned 11 senior caps for the Black Stars to date.
Speaking following the confirmation of his transfer, Lamptey expressed optimism about his recovery from the knee injury and his new opportunity at QPR. “My recovery has gone well and I’m not too far away now. I’m looking forward to joining with the boys,” the full-back told QPR’s official club website. “Throughout my football journey I’ve always been resilient.”
QPR chief executive Christian Nourry welcomed Lamptey’s arrival, highlighting the club’s growing appeal as a destination for ambitious players even after the defender received interest from multiple sides. “We’ve had good conversations about what he wants to achieve and how he feels that this is the right environment for him to flourish in,” Nourry said. “His decision to join QPR over a myriad of other EFL Championship clubs and clubs abroad is a further signal of the growing potential of this football club.”
Terms of the contract have not been made public by the west London club. QPR is set to kick off its 2026-27 EFL Championship campaign with an away fixture against Portsmouth on 15 August, kicking off at 15:00 BST.