"Loose change" - Pundit makes Wolves claim as they look to edge Stoke City out of race for QPR player | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer tells FLW his verdict on the situation surrounding Jake Clarke-Salter's QPR future

Carlton Palmer believes that Stoke City are now out of the running for QPR defender Jake Clarke-Salter amid interest from Wolves.

According to Football Insider, the Hoops have set a £10 million asking price for the centre-back.

Wolves are looking to replace Max Kilman after his £40 million move to West Ham, and have identified Clarke-Salter as one potential candidate.

The Potters have previously been linked with a deal to bring the defender to the club from Loftus Road.

But the emergence of Wolves’ interest could put a huge dent in their hopes of securing a move for the 26-year-old this summer.

Carlton Palmer weighs up Clarke-Salter’s QPR future

Palmer believes that the £10 million fee shouldn’t be an issue for Wolves, if they opt to make a concrete pursuit of Clarke-Salter.

However, he has suggested that Stoke’s interest in the player should come to an end with the reveal of his price tag, as they cannot compete with Premier League opposition for that kind of move.

“Wolves have been told that their interest in QPR’s central defender will cost them £10 million,” Palmer told Football League World.

“QPR do not want to sell top defender Jake Clarke-Salter, but it’s believed that Wolves are very, very keen on the player.

“But QPR have said they will drive a really hard bargain for Clarke-Salter, but they won’t stand in his way if he gets the opportunity to play in the Premier League.

“The 26-year-old started his career with Chelsea, but made just one appearance in the English top flight during his year as a senior player at the club.

“But it’s now believed that he’s one of several names on the list at Wolves in their bid to replace Kilman.

“QPR are bracing themselves for offers in the coming weeks.

“He made 33 appearances across all competitions last term, starting 29 of those outings.

“The star defender also spent time on loan at Coventry, Birmingham, Vitesse, Sunderland and Bristol Rovers prior to his Premier League outing with Chelsea in 2022.

“Clarke-Salter is under contract at Loftus Road until 2026, so QPR are in the driving seat, but they're also aware that in a year's time he’ll only have a year left on his contract.

“So, Wolves will have to stump up £10 million for a player, and in the Premier League now £10 million is like loose change.

“So Cifuentes has a lot of work to do still now before the coming season starts, should he leave.

“He’s already lost his wide player (Willock), which will be disappointing, so they’ve got a bit of work to do to bring in new recruits into the club.

“The price tag, I believe Stoke City were very, very keen on him and Steven Schumacher was an admirer of the player, but at £10 million that clearly puts Stoke firmly out of the race.”

Clarke-Salter’s importance to QPR

Clarke-Salter signed for QPR in the summer of 2022 from Chelsea, after he was unable to break into the Premier League side’s first team squad.

But the defender has gone on to become an important part of Martí Cifuentes’ team, playing consistent minutes under the Spaniard last season.

His departure could be a real blow to the London club, as they look to improve on their 18th place finish in the table from last year.

Wolves have until 30 August to finalise any potential deal for the player before the transfer window shuts for the remainder of the calendar year.£10 million fee could make up for losing Clarke-Salter.

Clarke-Salter is an impressive part of Cifuentes’ side, but a £10 million fee could go a long way to helping to improve the rest of the squad.

The opportunity to move to the Premier League is one that very few players are going to turn down, and QPR should avoid standing in his way due to the length left on his contract.

The quicker this is now resolved, the better for the London club, as they can then work on reinvesting that money back into their transfer plans.