QPR had French centre-back Yoann Barbet onboard for three years before his return to France last summer.
QPR first recruited Barbet from London rivals Brentford, bringing him over to Loftus Road in 2019 after he’d spent four years with the Bees. He cut a popular figure with the R’s too, holding down a starting role for much of his time with the club.
Across all competitions, the Frenchman played 121 times for QPR, chipping in with four goals and five assists in the process.
He ultimately left the club after his contract expired, opting against a new deal. Barbet then returned to his home country of France, joining Ligue 2 side Bordeaux following their relegation to return to his native for the first time since 2015.
But how has Barbet fared since?
Since heading back to France, Barbet quickly became a key figure at Bordeaux. He was given the captain’s armband at the start of the season and has been a mainstay in David Guion’s side all season, missing only two league games since his arrival. In his 18 Ligue 2 outings, Barbet has played all 90 minutes on 17 occasions, proving a crucial figure at the back.
Somewhat surprisingly though, the former QPR and Brentford man has found a goalscoring touch.
Across all competitions, the 29-year-old has netted six goals and provided two assists in 20 games. He scored a brace in a Coupe de France win over Trelissac back in November and scored twice in a 3-0 win vs Dijon FCO in January too. His goal tally puts him just one behind what he managed in 118 games for Brentford (seven) and two ahead of his QPR total (four).
Barbet will likely have a key role to play over the final stages of the season as Bordeaux battle for promotion. Les Girondins sit 2nd as it stands in a division where the top two go up automatically, but will be forced to play a play-off match is they miss out.
