Tariq Lamptey: Ghana defender joins QPR on free transfer from Fiorentina

Ghana defender Tariq Lamptey has joined Queens Park Rangers on a free transfer from Fiorentina, returning to English football as the Championship side strengthen at right-back.

The 25-year-old moves to Loftus Road after a season in Serie A, where he switched to Fiorentina from Brighton in 2025 for €3m. He joins QPR as a permanent signing, with the deal completed on 21 July.

London-born Lamptey, who plays primarily as a right-back and is right-footed, has already built up significant top-flight experience. He has made more than 100 Premier League appearances, contributing three goals and 11 assists, as well as featuring in European competition in the Europa League.

The defender first emerged at Chelsea, progressing through their youth system and winning both the U18 league title and the FA Youth Cup in 2017-18. He stepped up from Chelsea’s U18s to their U23s before making a permanent move to Brighton in January 2020.

Lamptey’s time at Brighton established him as a regular in senior football, and he later added experience in Italian football with Fiorentina, including a brief spell in Serie A. His new move brings him back to the city of his birth and into a division where his pace and top-flight background add further depth to QPR’s defensive options.

Lamptey’s arrival from Fiorentina on a free transfer is now complete, with the right-back registered as a QPR player from 21 July 2026.