"Do whatever you can" - QPR owners sent clear Jimmy Dunne plea | OneFootball

Key man Jimmy Dunne is approaching the end of his current deal at Loftus Road

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Queens Park Rangers' owners have been urged to move to extend Jimmy Dunne's contract at the club at all costs, with the 27-year-old set to leave Loftus Road at the end of his current deal in June.

Dunne is into his fourth season at Loftus Road after a 2021 move from Burnley, and has emerged as one of Marti Cifuentes' most important and consistent players over the last 18 months.

The Republic of Ireland youth international's impressive performances in the first-half of the season saw him linked with a move to promotion-chasers Sheffield United in the January window by Football League World, but after staying put last month, he has continued to be a standout at the back for the R's.

QPR's biggest worry, however, is that Dunne is out of contract at the end of this season and could depart on a free transfer ahead of next term. That would be a huge blow to their defensive ranks, and the club's chiefs have now been told to make sure that he stays beyond the summer.

Fan pundit issues 'do whatever you can' plea to owners on Jimmy Dunne contract situation

Dunne is in the form of his life in W12, and will surely feel content at Loftus Road given that he has nailed down a spot in the starting eleven this season, with a start in all but one of their 34 games in the Championship so far.

It was not a shock that Sheffield United registered their interest in his services last month, because as well as being able to play at both centre-back and right-back, Dunne has also bagged four goals this term, and even netted against the Blades in a 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane in August.

The Irishman has previous experience of Premier League football from his time at Burnley, and has racked up over 150 appearances for the Hoops, so he is now a real fan favourite at Loftus Road, and it would be a huge loss if he was to leave anytime soon.

QPR's current ownership is made up of three businessmen in Ruben Gnanalingam, Amit Bhatia and Richard Reilly, and our R's fan pundit,

Louis Moir, has urged the club's hierarchy to persuade Dunne to sign on to a new deal ahead of his contract expiring in June.

“If I could send one message to our owners at this moment in time, it would be, ‘please do whatever you can to tie Jimmy Dunne down to a new contract,’” Louis told FLW.

“Otherwise, it is going to look like a silly decision to keep him until the end of the season, us not getting in the playoffs and him leaving on a free, when we could have got around £2+ million for him in January.

“Surely if we said no to that sort of money for a player who is out of contract in the summer, they must be thinking that they can tie him down to a new deal, otherwise they surely would have got rid of him.

“I just think Jimmy Dunne is so key to the way we play. Offensively and defensively, to be honest, he’s such a threat in both boxes.

“He’s a very unique player. You don’t really often see a traditional centre-half turned right-back be such a threat from set-pieces and, if you look at his goal against Portsmouth, a striker would be proud of that finish.

“He is just crucial to us, and yeah, I would just be doing anything I could, if I was the owners, to get him to sign a new contract.

“If he leaves then we technically haven't got a right-back, because Santos will probably leave on a permanent and (Harrison) Ashby will return to Newcastle after his loan expires, so we could be in the market for maybe two right-backs in the summer.

“We need to get him tied down, and I’m hoping that something is already in place, or something is about to be agreed, because the longer it goes on the more you think he’s not going to stay.

“We’d be losing such a top, top player and a top guy on a free transfer. It would be gutting.”

Marti Cifuentes has not shed light on Dunne's contract situation as yet

Dunne signed a three-year deal when he first joined QPR in 2021, and his impressive performances last term, which saw him win Goal of the Season as well as numerous individual club awards, saw the club trigger an extra year to his deal last summer.

QPR fans do have a right to be concerned about his contract situation, however, after boss Cifuentes was asked in December about his views on the potential saga that could play out, but remained coy and unwilling to shed any light on what may play out before the summer.

"I never speak about contracts. It’s a question you can ask the CEO (Christian Nourry)," he told the South London Press.

"The reality is that Jimmy is a very important player for us and I really like him. He plays with a big heart and soul every game, and he has the capacity to impact the last third.

"These kinds of players help us to be the core of the team. Jimmy, Sam (Field), (Steve) Cook, Jake (Clarke-Salter). The guys that know the league and know English football sustain the team’s performances."

Just weeks prior to those comments, Dunne himself admitted that he had "had no conversations" about a possible new deal, but with his contract now due to expire in just four short months and Sheffield United previously eyeing a move, the Hoops need to open talks as soon as possible to get such a key player's future tied down to the club.