Queens Park Rangers January Recruitment Plan 2026

Queens Park Rangers January Recruitment Plan 2026

QPR have had a streaky but relatively strong first half of the season under new head coach Julien Stephan, leaving us in the congested playoff chasing pack. With the January window fast approaching, I’ve had a look at a few names that Rangers could add to our squad to potentially help us try and get over the line and bolster our top 6 aspirations.

Squad Analysis and Positions to Target

The images above show QPR’s squad depth, the first showing every player who is capable of playing each position and the second showing the players’ most likely role they play when in the side. I actually think that the squad is in a relatively healthy position with particularly strong depth in the attacking areas of the pitch. The depth improvement this season has been significant and has not only caused Stephan dilemmas with the starting lineup but also with squad inclusions with big names frequently having to be left out.

In terms of incomings I don’t think there is actually too much we should be doing in January. Aside from a new #1 goalkeeper, I don’t think that there is any positions that are an absolute necessity this window. Going into the season, I thought that a new number 8 should have been our priority in the summer window but, due to Madsen’s performances, I’m becoming less inclined to call that one a necessity. Yes it definitely could be argued that we are a little light in that area if Madsen was to pick up an injury but I’d be more than happy to give Morgan more minutes there and I’d be worried that a new signing in that area could potentially block his development. The same could be said in the fullback department. Norrington-Davies and Mbengue have been solid at left-back and right-back respectively but them aside there isn’t a clear and obvious capable back up. At left-back, Field has done ok at times when he’s had to fill in, Esquerdinha has looked fine in some games and nowhere near ready for the championship in others. With RND’s incapabilities to play all three games of a three game week a new left-back could be on the agenda this January but I personally think that having Field fill in there is fine and that Esquerdinha is a capable backup when played in the right games. The same for Morgan could be said for Esquerdinha in that you don’t want to sign a player who might block off his development as Esquerdinha, although is significantly less proven than Morgan, has showed signs that he has good potential. In terms of right-back I think we’re fine with Mbengue, Morgan and Dunne covering when needed even though all three aren’t traditionally fullbacks. The last position where I think you could argue that we may need another player in January would be at centre-back. With Jake Clarke-Salter and Liam Morrison having struggled with injuries over their careers at QPR and Steve Cook’s fitness declining as he ages, I think another centre half would be nice but I don’t think that it’s an absolute necessity. I also think with centre back you’ve got to look at the longer-term. The club have a fair few promising young centre backs in the development squad, notably Tylon Smith (20) and Timmy Akindileni (18), and although it could be definitely argued that they are not ready yet, it’s an important aspect to consider when recruiting so a loan might be the best option here.

That being said, these are the positions I would look to target in the January window:

• #1 Goalkeeper (Necessity)
• Centre-back (Not a necessity)

I also think there is work to be done in terms of outgoings and loaning out some of our talented development squad players. Specifically, I think that Daniel Bennie is ready to play consistent first team men’s football and I think that an EFL loan for him should be on the agenda this January. Tylon Smith another who could benefit from an EFL loan when he returns from AFCON with South Africa as again I think he could really benefit from regular first team football. If the club do move to sign a new goal keeper this January, perhaps a loan move to a league one side could prove useful for Joe Walsh, who really needs to start playing more first team minutes now. Other then that, the club should continue to send out some development squad players on short loan deals to non-league to keep providing them with experience in mens football.

Goalkeepers

The Goalkeeping situation has been a bit of a mess for QPR this season. We started the season off by dropping Paul Nardi for Joe Walsh before Walsh broke his wrist and we were forced into recalling Nardi to the side and signing Ben Hamer on a short-term deal. After a poor run of form from Paul Nardi, the frenchman was dropped again in early November for Ben Hamer before Hamer picked up an injury just two games later and Nardi was then recalled to the side again. Despite Nardi’s performances being a bit better in some of his recent appearances, I think the club should and will sign a new number 1 this window as, not only is Nardi’s abysmal box presence costing this team goals, but Ben Hamer’s short term deal will also be up in January and I would be surprised if this was extended. It will be interesting to see which way the club will go about this in January. Do they sign a keeper on loan and then assess the situation with Joe Walsh and the returning Murphy Cooper in the summer or do they just simply sign a new permanent keeper this window? I personally think that a loan goalkeeper would make the most sense however I have covered both options below.

Mads Hermansen, West Ham United, Loan

Hermansen didn’t hit the ground running at West Ham following a big money move from Leicester in the summer, resulting in him losing his place in the starting eleven early on in the season. Due to this, West Ham may look to sen Hermansen out on loan in the second half of the season to help rebuild his confidence because he is a very good goalkeeper. Despite that, a loan move for the Dane would be an ambitious move for any championship side with it looking more likely that he will be loaned somewhere abroad and, if he were to be made available for any championship sides, Rangers would likely have to fend off competition from clubs with much bigger budgets. In terms of his goalkeeping ability, Hermansen is an excellent shot-stopper at championship level but arguably his most impressive trait would be his distribution. Despite QPR not being a side who tends to play the ball around with the goalkeeper too often, when we have seen it, Nardi has looked a bit shaky and uncomfortable at times; Hermansen would be a complete revelation in this aspect. In terms of Hermansen’s box presence, it’s probably around or maybe just below the championship average which is significantly better than Nardi’s whose box presence is comfortably the worst in the division.

Anthony Patterson, Sunderland, Loan

Patterson, a goalkeeper already loosely linked to Rangers looks set to depart Sunderland on loan this Winter. Despite Patterson being a solid and reliable shot-stopper in the championship, I’m not quite as keen on him as I am the other options on this list. Don’t get me wrong, Patterson would be a clear upgrade in almost every way on Paul Nardi but his weaknesses are quite similarly aligned to Nardi’s. Although Patterson has a much better box presence than Nardi, it still is not good. Patterson will leave his goal line more than Nardi will and have a better box presence but will also rarely come out to claim a cross. This would still be a good signing for QPR and definitely would be an upgrade on Paul Nardi but I am just not as keen on him as may others seem to be.

Noel Törnqvist, Como, Loan

Very much a left-field pick for a loan goalkeeper in January would be Noel Törnqvist of Como. Törnqvist has spent the last few seasons at Mjälby in the Allsvenskan where he quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in not just Sweden but all of Scandinavia. This earnt him a move to Serie A side Como in the summer before he was immediately loaned back out to Mjälby to compete the remainder of the season in Sweden. With Butez looking undroppable for Como, the Italian side may look to seek out another loan move for Törnqvist in January which could be an excellent opportunity for QPR. The Swede is an impressive shot-stopper, accumulating a 81.6% save percentage whilst also racking up 11.3 xg prevented in the 2025 Allsvenskan. In comparison, Nardi’s numbers in the 24/25 season were 64.8% and -4.02 respectively. Unlike Nardi, Törnqvist is certainly not afraid to leave his goal line and has a good box presence. He does tend to prefer to punch the ball away rather than claiming it but he has shown that he is more than capable of coming out and claiming a cross to relieve the pressure put on his side. Although, signing Törnqvist on loan would be a highly ambitious and possibly unrealistic move for QPR to make, if it was possible, it would be a fantastic signing for us.

Sam Tickle, Wigan Athletic, Permanent

Sam Tickle has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in League One over the last few seasons and looks like he has been ready to make the step up to championship football for some time now. The former England u21 international is an excellent shot stopper and is capable of producing some nice long passes too (actually managing to accumulate an assist this season from a nice sidewinder drop kick to play Mullin in on goal). Importantly, Tickle isn’t afraid to leave his goal line and come out to claim a cross and is capable of of having a good box presence. Being only 23, Tickle is still young but has plenty of EFL experience already under his belt and would be immediately ready to come in and start for us and there could even potentially be some resell ability with him.

**Other Options: **Elias Olafsson (Permanent), Jari De Busser (Permanent), Vaclav Hladky (Loan)

Centre Backs

Like I’ve already said, I don’t think that a new centre half is an absolute must this January, however I think that some defensive reinforcements could prove to be useful. A loan seems the most logical and likely for me, unless there is a very good market opportunity to get a player permanently (which I think there might be for a certain someone).

Ronnie Edwards, Southampton, Loan or Permanent

According to various reports in the Summer, QPR tried and nearly succeeded in bringing Ronnie Edwards back to W12 on a permanent deal, with Edwards supposedly pushing for the deal. With Edwards game time being limited to virtually nothing under new Southampton manager Tonda Eckert, even being left out of the squad entirely at times, I think a move either on loan or permanent will be sanctioned for Edwards this winter. If the cash is available, which it looks like it is given we pushed for him in the summer, we should probably try and secure Edwards permanently as not only will his market value would have likely dropped due to his lack of minutes but he’d also probably want to push for the move even more. As for the player, there’s not much I really need to say here, we all know and have seen first hand just how good he is. Edwards is a player who could add another dimension to our buildup play with his ability to carry the ball out from the back as well as being a good defender at this level. My opinion that Edwards is a future England defender hasn’t changed and, if we were able to pull off this deal, it would bolster our top 6 aspirations significantly.

Bashir Humphreys, Burnley, Loan

Just the two Premier League minutes for Burnley since signing permanently in the summer for Bashir Humphreys, so a loan out to the championship could make a lot of sense. It is also a loan deal that could make a lot of sense from a QPR perspective too. This is because Humphreys is a versatile defender, being able to play both Left back and Centre Back to a good championship level meaning that Humphreys is a player that could kill two birds with one stone by giving us more depth not only at centre back, but also left back (where we look a little light). Humphreys played the majority of his minutes at left back for Burnley last season and was an important part of their record breaking defence. Being left-footed, Humphreys could help to bring more balance when playing centre back when Clarke-Salter (the only left footed centre back in the first team) isn’t able to play.

Calvin Brackelmann, Paderborn, Permanent

Brackelmann was a player who I suggested in my summer recruitment plan so I’m not going to go into too much detail on the player here, but go and read that article if you haven’t already. Brackelmann stands at 6ft 5 and now has just 6 months left in his contract with Paderborn, meaning this is a deal which Rangers could potentially do on the cheap and therefore could be a good market opportunity.

**Other Options: **Ethan Pye (Permanent), Eiran Cashin (Loan)

Conclusion

So that’s it, I only really think we need one or two smart additions this January to put us in a better position which is a welcome change from previous years. I think the club have to be careful not to bloat out the squad too much this January as there will already be many good players who have been frustrated with the amount of minutes they’ve played this season, hence why I think that we should only look to bring in one or two this window (unless there are some unexpected departures of course). Yes you could say that we are perhaps a little light of high quality depth in the fullback areas and in central midfield but you do have players who can come in to cover and do a good enough job to see us through until the summer in those areas in my opinion. It’s been a good season so far therefore you wouldn’t really want to change the dynamics of this squad too much mid-season. That being said, below is an image of how the squad could potentially look with a couple of the listed additions.

Thank you very much for reading and I’d appreciate any feedback given. Hope everyone has a great christmas and new year.

As always, COYRS🔵⚪️