Controversial midfielder Joey Barton may well be heading out of the Premier League, as QPR look to loan him out to Blackburn according to The Daily Mail.

The temperamental midfielder has had a career full of ill-discipline and scandal, with the latest incident his sending off for the R's against Manchester City on the last day of the 2011-12 season.

Barton was dismissed for elbowing Carlos Tevez, but also tried to head-butt Vincent Kompany and kick Sergio Aguero, resulting the FA handing down a 12-match ban.

With Mark Hughes stripping Barton of the club captaincy already, the ambitious London side are thought to be ready to offload Barton as he is thought to be more trouble than he is worth.

QPR owner Tony Fernandes has admitted that Barton is on his last warning, but the midfielder could well be on his way to Blackburn for a season-long loan deal.

Rovers were relegated from the Premier League last term, and Steve Kean is eager to bolster his squad this summer, with Danny Murphy and Leon Best already joining the Ewood Park club.

By Gareth McKnight