"There are doubts" - QPR transfer prediction made as Jimmy Dunne future is questioned | OneFootball

The R's could well have a busy off-season on their hands with plenty of incoming and outgoings expected

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…

After the rigmarole of the previous two seasons, Queens Park Rangers will be breathing a sigh of relief that they are comfortably placed in mid-table heading into the final few months of the season.

While they won’t have fully given up on reaching the play-offs this season, making up a seven-point gap over the next 12 matches could well be beyond their remit between now and May, but looking up rather than down the division will have made a refreshing change for R’s fans in recent times.

Things have been touch and go at this point over the previous two campaigns, but Marti Cifuentes has built a squad capable of holding their own in the second tier right now, with the hope that they can kick on even further in the following campaign.

With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s resident QPR fan Louis Moir about where he expects his side to strengthen over the summer, with potential departures set to leave holes in the current playing squad.

Marti Cifuentes will need to address full-back issue at QPR this summer

Both of QPR’s starting full-backs are entering the final few months of their contract at Loftus Road as it stands, with Kenneth Paal and Jimmy Dunne both set to see their deals expire on the final day of June.

The pair have been regulars in the starting lineup this season and excelled both with and without the ball on the flanks, with Cifuentes’ game plan utilising the energetic abilities of both players marauding up and down the touchline.

Neither is yet to commit to a new deal with the club though, leaving the R’s wary of the fact that they could be left filling both full-back slots over the summer, given the lack of depth in those areas right now.

Paal was said to be of interest to Watford last summer, while Football League World exclusively revealed that Sheffield United were tempted by Dunne in the recent winter transfer window, leaving Moir certain his side will bolster in those areas this summer.

When asked about the R’s impending transfer business, he said: “I think realistically in the summer you would be looking at five or six, maybe even seven new players.

“There are doubts about whether Kenneth Paal is going to stay or go, and if he leaves the club you are going to be in the market for a left-back.

“It’s exactly the same on the right-hand side, all you have got Jimmy Dunne in the exact same situation. Realistically Hevertton Santos is going to be on a permanent, I hope Harrison Ashby won’t be here next season, and that just leaves an out of contract Jimmy Dunne, so we could be looking for a pair of full-backs.”

QPR urged to retain Koki Saito, Yang Min-hyeok for the 25/26 campaign

Rangers have been blessed with additional quality from loan players this season, with Koki Saito and Yang Min-hyeok both catching the eye after being borrowed from Lommel and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

Saito has four goal contributions throughout the campaign, while Yang has showcased his natural ability since moving across London last month, with the Loftus Road faithful already enamoured by his talents.

Moir is in no two minds that his club should be pursuing their options regarding the duo in the summer, in a bid to keep the majority of hte attacking personnel together for another campaign.

He continued: “Out wide, you hope Saito comes in on a permanent, and maybe we can Yang from Spurs again. We have got Dembele and Chair, so we are looking alright in that area.

“I still think we may need a midfielder, someone who could maybe give us that ability to drive forward and be more of a progressive number eight type of midfielder.”

QPR striker, defender options analysed

The main issue for Rangers this season has been the lack of goals from their strikers, with Michael Frey netting seven times in the Championship, while high-profile addition Zan Celar has just two goals to his name since joining last summer.

Frey has an option of another year on his contract which is yet to be exercised by the club, while younger options Rayan Kolli and Alfie Jones have both caught the eye after being thrust into the action by Cifuentes throughout the season.

Moir has predicted further additions both up top and at the back this summer, but believes the main focus should be on keeping a core of the squad together to make moving into next season a more seamless affair.

He added: “It also comes back to the striker situation; you hope the likes of Lloyd, and I’m not sure about Kolli depending on his development, but those two might need to go out on loan.

“Frey might not be here next season and Celar isn’t guaranteed to kick on, so I think we are in the market for one or two strikers.

“Centre-half as well potentially if Steve Cook doesn’t stay. Clarke-Salter and Morrison have poor injury records, it’s gutting but Ronnie Edwards will probably be playing in the Championship next season with Southampton, so we might be in the need for another centre-half or two.

“It could be more than people might think, but hopefully we don’t have to rebuild too much otherwise it is going to take more time to gel.

“That was the point of this season really, you wanted the new signings to gel and then keep the bulk of this squad so we can push on once more.”