Queens Park Rangers will tell Joey Barton that he is not wanted at the club and is free to leave. The midfielder faces at least a 10-match ban for his appalling behaviour against Manchester City on Sunday when he was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez.Barton will be banned for four matches because it was his second red card of the season and he will also face further bans at the "discretion" of a commission after being charged by the FA last night for kicking Sergio Aguero and attempting to headbutt Vincent Kompany. He refused to leave the pitch at the Etihad Stadium, which may even see the ban extended to 12 matches, and the FA could also eventually charge him for a series of distasteful comments on Twitter.However, QPR manager Mark Hughes had already decided before Barton's latest misdemeanours that the midfielder was not part of his plans and should leave for the good of the club. He has lost patience with Barton, who has also performed poorly this season.The significant problem for QPR will be to try to find a buyer for Barton, who is the club's highest-paid player and has three years left on a contract that pays him up to £80,000 a week.Nevertheless Hughes, who has been privately critical of Barton for some time, is determined to try to make sure he leaves the club and the 29-year-old is also expected to be fined heavily for his latest behaviour.To add further insult to Barton's behaviour it is believed that, as part of the contract he signed last summer after being told to leave Newcastle United, he is due a bonus of about £250,000 because QPR have avoided relegation.After the game at the Etihad Stadium, Barton tweeted: "Still not my proudest moment but who gives a f***, we are safe... and that is all that matters."
He then denounced the "nuggets" who had predicted that the club would be relegated. To add further insult, Barton was back on Twitter on Sunday evening to abuse the BBC Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer following the former striker's criticism of his dismissal.
In an expletive-littered rant Barton attacked Shearer and then, yesterday, turned his attention to the show's host, Gary Lineker.
