QPR need to make right decisions this summer

QPR boss Harry Redknapp ha\s a big summer in the transfer market ahead of him

QPR won promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs.

Bobby Zamora’s last-gasp final winner in a 1-0 defeat of Derby meant that the Hoops were promoted to the top-flight after just one season in the second tier.

One Season

QPR were one of the favourites for automatic promotion from the Championship at the start of the season.

However, mixed results towards the end of the campaign meant that the Hoops had to achieve promotion the hard way through the play-offs after finishing fourth place.

Mess

In truth when QPR went down to the second tier of English football they were in a mess, both on and off the pitch. The club had stretched themselves far too much in the previous transfer windows bringing in far too many players on big wages.

That meant that the club were burdened with a big squad of players and a major wage bill. In the end relegation to the second tier may just have been the best thing that could have happened to the Hoops.

Big Earners

Relegation gave the club the chance to get rid of some of the clubs biggest earners, even if it was just on-loan in some cases. The likes of midfielder Stephane Mbia and striker Loic Remy left the club on loan deals.

Both players’ loan stints have now ended and they have returned to Rangers. However, neither is likely to stay with the club this summer. It seems that half of the Premier League is looking at signing Remy this summer.

Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham have all been linked with an £8million move for the French international striker. Remy was one of the big players who arrived at QPR that actually impressed in a QPR shirt.

Mbia’s contract with the Hoops expires this summer and will likely leave as a free agent, with Sevilla showing an interest in a permanent deal for the midfielder, after his loan stint in La Liga.

Rebuild

Hoops boss Harry Redknapp has been there and done that when it comes to promotion. The experienced former-Tottenham boss knew exactly the sort of players he wanted and needed in his squad to get back into the Premier League.

He built his team on hard-working experienced players, rather than big name players. He built something from the wreckage of a divided squad and added talented players to the squad like Niko Kranjcar and striker Charlie Austin.

However, Redknapp has a problem this summer as he has a number of player’s on-loan at the club. The likes of Ravel Morrison, Tom Carroll, Aaron Hughes and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are all on-loan, so will need to be replaced this summer.

Redknapp has a lot of wheeling and dealing to do this summer to get the right players into his club this summer, without putting the clubs fragile finances at risk. For all his annoyance at being called a wheeler dealer, Redknapp is very good in the transfer market.

He has to use all his experience to get QPR ready for their return to the Premier League next season. The Rangers squad is full of Premier League experience in the likes of Richard Dunne, Robert Green and Joey Barton, so top-flight know-how should not be a problem.

Meeting

Redknapp is due to have a meeting about transfer with the clubs hierarchy on Friday. In this meeting, the club look set to confirm that striker Zamora is set to be released, despite scoring the goal that won the club promotion.

Along with Zamora the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jermaine Jenas, Andy Johnson and the aforementioned Mbia are all out of contract this summer. The quartet looks likely to follow Zamora out of the Loftus Road exit door, as the Hoops look to cut the wage bill and improve their squad ahead of the new campaign.

Other issues that will be discussed on Friday are expected to be a permanent move for promising midfielder Ravel Morrison and the future of the likes of Remy, Esteban Granero and Adel Taarabt, who are all expected to move on this summer after going out on-loan last season.

This meeting could be vital for how the new season goes for the Hoops. I am sure that Redknapp has an idea of what he wants to do this summer in the transfer market. The Hoops are being linked with the likes of Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Scott Parker.

All four may demand big wages, but all are familiar to Redknapp and more importantly have experience in the Premier League. They would also only sign short-term deals, which would not put the clubs long-term financial future in doubt.

Backing

This summer will allow Hoops boss Harry Redknapp to do what he does best, re-shape his squad. With so many big earners leaving the club it gives Redknapp room for manoeuvre in the transfer market.

Rangers are not out of the financial woods yet, with the prospect of a £50million fine for breaching Financial Fair Play rules looming. However, hopefully the Hoops can stay competitive on the field, while also staying financially stable this time around, unlike their last stint in the top-flight.

The bookmaker’s clear think not, as the Hoops are second favourites to be relegated next season at odds of 7/4.

Can QPR remain competitive in the Premier League next season?