Queens Park Rangers owner Tony Fernandes has stated for months that the we’ll be using the January transfer window to boost the squad. Hell, he even invited R’s fans on Twitter to suggest players saying that the Rangers fans are like having thousands of scouts up and down the country. Apparently, Neil Warnock and his coaching staff have been watching videos of some players suggested by Rangers fans, if this is true, how fantastic that everyone at Loftus Road is working together. It’s not often you can say that about a Football Club, especially in W12.
So who should the R’s sign in January or who will we sign? Firstly let’s look at the host of names already linked to a move if you believe the rumours of the Newspapers and various online articles.
The Rumours
Andy Johnson and/or Bobby Zamora
Both Fulham strikers have been strongly linked to a move across Hammersmith & Fulham Borough for a number of months, Johnson especially having been a strong rumour back in the Summer but never materialised.
This season the pair have got back their excellent partnership and form that has seen both of them on the score sheet, it would be crazy to suggest Fulham would be prepared to sell either of them particularly not to their local rivals. But perhaps if QPR put in a very high offer that Al-Fayed can’t resist, it could happen.
The more likely one to sign out of the two would have to be Zamora, as Warnock stated a few weeks ago, the striker they’ll sign in January will be Heidur Helguson Mark II which rules out the likes of Andy Johnson and other small, goal poachers. Instead, Warnock wants a physical presence up top that can bring other players into play whilst also getting goals themselves.
Would Bobby be an astute signing? Yes, he’s proven to be one of the best target strikers in the Premier League over the last few seasons and is in contention for the EURO 2012 England squad. However, the signing of Zamora would question the future of Jay Bothroyd, DJ Campbell and Helguson himself. Maybe Warnock prefers competition for places, it was at Sheffield United that he had 8 strikers in his squad!
Raiding Spurs
The last day of the summer transfer window saw Tottenham’s Sebastian Bassong extremely close to signing for the R’s, he even had a medical as QPR waited on Spurs permission, who were hoping to sign Bolton’s Gary Cahill. However, the transfer looks set to happen again come January but would it bolster our backline?
It’s been no secret how critical I have been over our defence this season but speaking to a Spurs friend, it sounds like Bassong is the same as what we’ve got. A more stand-off centre half who prefers to play the ball out rather than a commanding, no nonsense enforcer that we’re crying out for.
It’s not just Bassong we’ve been linked with either. Striker Jermain Defoe has been warming up the Spurs bench all season and with EURO 2012 fast approaching and Defoe at 29, could a move across London to the Super Hoops be a realistic proposition?
Various articles have played this move down, saying that Defoe would rather sit on the bench at Spurs than move to a newly promoted Premier League side…but he did just that not so long ago when he left Spurs to join Portsmouth.
It all depends if Tottenham sign another striker in January, rumours suggest they may be in for Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, if so that’d see Defoe want away and maybe a Loan deal to the R’s would be fashionable. If not Defoe, maybe it would be worth enquiring about Roman Pavlyunchenko, who knows how to find the back of the net.
DAVID BECKHAM!
Crazy, absurd, but strong rumours suggest that it’s either QPR or Tottenham who are trying to tempt David Beckham back into English football, although Paris St.Germain remains the biggest favourites of them all.
Becks, now 36 just won his first major trophy at LA Galaxy in his 5th and final season playing in the MLS. Some say he could re-sign and stay in America, so even if he did come back to England, it’d be a short term loan but surely given his age, that’d suit all parties involved.
Would Beckham help us though? Whilst it would generate a huge publicity and money making, I can’t’ see where Beckham would fit into our side. With Joey Barton and Alejandro Faurlin holding firm in the middle, Becks could slot in on the right hand side and supply excellent crosses into the final third for the likes of Heirdur Helguson and our January-Transfer-Striker. However, I just can’t see him wanting to join Rangers over Spurs or PSG.
James Tomkins
My favourite rumour of them all, the young West Ham defender James Tomkins. Although the Hammers boss Sam Allardyce remains adamant that the player is going nowhere, Fernandes may put in a bed that the West Ham owners can’t refuse.
Despite their relegation last season, Tomkins was one of their best performers; often making up for the terrible Matthew Upson and co. Tomkins is still only young but can bring a fresh and vibrant attitude to the R’s defence.
Federico Macheda
It’s suggested a loan move could be on the cards for the young Manchester United striker but is he better than the likes of DJ Campbell? I doubt it. Plus, Warnock has said he’s after a target man so I can’t see this deal happening at all.
Gary Hooper
How much longer are we going to be linked with this guy? The Celtic forward is said to be joining us in January but the same was mentioned in the summer, last January and the summer before but never materialised. What I do like about Hooper though is he seems to know his way to the back of the net and having a natural goal scorer in our team would be vital if we’re to stay in the top flight.
Nedum Onuoha
The Manchester City defender went on loan to Sunderland last season and performed well, could he do the same for us? Whilst he’s been used as a right-back more often, the big youngster is natural a centre half and despite a lack of experience, he could be much better than the likes of Fitz Hall and Danny Gabbidon who ALWAYS seem to be one step away from a mistake and conceding a goal.
My Suggestions:
Tony Fernandes is an astute businessman but he’s also ambitious and loves his football. That’s why I feel she should/could go for broke in January and make Rangers into a top half Premier League outfit by going after some of these suggestions that I want to see in a Super Hoop jersey.
Gary Cahill
Bolton want £19 Million for the England defender but given how poor Bolton have been this season, maybe Fernandes could negotiate the fee down. It would be a signing that’d blow our relegation rivals out of the water and actually give the rangers back line a BACK BONE. I could see Cahill forming an excellent partnership with Anton Ferdinand, a defence that could be very, very strong indeed.
Didier Drogba/Nicholas Anelka
The apple cart is upset down the road at the Bridge and I expect both if not at least one of these two strikers departing sooner rather than later. Why not put in a bid for either of them? Whilst they may be currently scum, there is no doubting their ability. Perhaps Drogba is looking like a shadow of his former self but Anelka has always shown his class and if anyone is going to motivate him it’d be Neil Warnock.
Joe Lewis/Alex Smithies
We’re looking for a keeper but there’s been no names mentioned as of yet. Personally, I’d go for potential and try and sign one of these two young keepers who’ve impressed me over the years in the football league. Joe Lewis of Peterborough has earned himself England U21 recognition and would be a great understudy to Paddy Kenny in the short term.
Whilst Alex Smithies of Huddersfield Town has been out with a long term injury it could be worth enquiring about him for the future and another England U21 prospect.
Grant Holt
Warnock wants a physical presence up front and Holt is just that. He’s warming the bench for the Canaries but maybe we can tempt him away with a system that works of him and us. It’d be a short term signing but one that could work out for us, well especially Warnock.
Carlton Cole
Shockingly there have been no links to us signing Carlton Cole in January. There were odd rumours back in the summer but it quickly died down, however Cole would be the ideal signing for Neil Warnock who seeks a big strong striker up top to either partner Helguson or rotate with him.
However, I can’t imagine West Ham selling us both Tomkins and Cole in the same window.
Ricky Lambert
Again, a big physical striker but he also has an amazing goal scoring record unlike some other target men. He’s already got 12 goals in the Championship for Southampton this season but could he make the step up to the Premier League?
Jimmy Kebe
One of my favourite players in the Football League is Reading attacker Jimmy Kebe. The lanky Mali international has a burst of pace that’d have the quickest of Premier League defenders on the back foot and would provide excellent rotation or even partnership with likes of SWP.
Other Championship players I favour are Crystal Palace youngsters Nathanial Clyne (defender) and Wilfred Zaha (forward), as well as Middlesbrough attacker Marvin Emnes.
Whoever we sign come the New Year, let’s hope they can do the job and make this already good side into an even better one.
COME ON YOU R’S!!!!!!!!!!!!
Queens Park aRmchair 