QPR should be eyeing Lincoln City man as Ilias Chair alternative: View | OneFootball

QPR are struggling for creativity, even more so with Ilias Chair out injured. Lincoln City's Jack Moylan could be the solution to that problem.

Queen's Park Rangers' goalless draw at Watford on Saturday was a well-earned point, but it was another game where the Hoops failed to find the net, with the absence of Moroccan international Ilias Chair through injury only further exasperating the problem.

Boss Martí Cifuentes' side are currently the lowest scorers in the Championship, having found the net just 15 times in their opening 19 matches, leaving them second from bottom of the table.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it's surely something the Spaniard will be keen to address in an attempt to move his side away from the lower reaches of the second tier and prevent what would be a disastrous relegation to League One.

To make this happen, the Rangers chief should look to Lincoln City's Irish attacking midfielder Jack Moylan to provide cover, competition and variety for main man Chair and former Danish youth international Nicolas Madsen in the goal-getting engine room role.

24-year-old Madsen, who joined for an undisclosed fee from Belgian side Westerlo in August, is perhaps more suited to a box-to-box role, where his physicality and durability are better utilised.

With their creative talisman unavailable, however, its needs must for Cifuentes, but in order to survive, he may have to find an alternative with a greater cutting edge to give his side more threat, create more chances and score more goals if they are to move away from danger.

Moylan's movement and tenacity would offer something different to QPR

The Imps' 23-year-old attacker would give them another forward-thinking dimension, and he'd do it in a different way to Chair.

While the Moroccan is brilliant on the ball, beating his man with a piece of individual brilliance and picking out incisive passes others may not see, Moylan, who can also operate as a 'false 9' type forward, is a little more direct in his approach.

The Dublin-born player started out at Bohemians in his homeland before having a hugely successful two-year spell with fellow League of Ireland outfit Shelbourne between 2022 and 2024.

His form with Shels saw him score 26 goals in 70 matches overall, picking up the 2023 Premier Division Top Goalscorer award, and attracting the interest of English League One side Lincoln, with whom Moylan signed a pre-contract agreement to move to Sincil Bank in January of this year.

Since then, the dynamic attacking player has become a key man for Imps manager Michael Skubala, who took over from predecessor Mark Kennedy last year, with the Irishman's blend of technical and physical qualities making him out as one of the top talents in the third-tier.

Moylan is able to pick up pockets of space and link the play, but also able to get around and beyond the main forward(s) and into dangerous positions with regularity. These attributes showcase the youngster as an emerging talent capable of playing at a higher level in the near future, whether that's with play-off challengers Lincoln or elsewhere.

A good finisher who is capable of finding the net from distance, he also possesses great energy and desire when pressing opponents, an important part of Skubala's tactical set-up, and something the Irishman could offer the Hoops as an alternative to their other options in that area of the pitch.

Chair suffering a frustrating injury-affected season

Chair is widely regarded as one of the most talented players in the Championship, but the 27-year-old has struggled with persistent injuries this season, with Rangers feeling the effect of his absence in attacking quarters.

The Moroccan international is currently sidelined with a knee issue that has seen him miss the last four matches, with his likely return proving difficult to predict given the nature of the injury.

In fact, Chair has only featured seven times for Cifuentes' side this season so far, having picked up a back injury in the summer that kept him out until October.

Any second-tier side would miss the game-changing talents of Chair, but given the Hoops' reliance on their creator in chief, and the lack of a suitable replacement, they will almost certainly need to strengthen in January.

Chair is out of contract next summer anyway, and with his future up in the air, Rangers may look to be proactive in bringing in reinforcements before any potential exit for the Moroccan.

While Moylan only joined Lincoln in January, and will almost certainly command a reasonable fee, it could be money well spent if he helps keep Cifuentes' QPR in the Championship.