Queens Park Rangers defender Kenneth Paal is wanted by a club in the Championship this summer after his impressive displays at Loftus Road last season.
Supporters of the West London outfit have seen quite a lot of activity already in this transfer window, with just over a month left before the market closes. Marti Cifuentes is looking to crack on and avoid a repeat of last season’s tight-knit relegation battle in England’s second tier and has adjusted his squad accordingly.
Zan Celar has arguably been the biggest signing of the summer for QPR thus far. Despite rumoured interest from fellow Championship side Hull City, Rangers came out on top in the race for his signature, acquiring the centre-forward for an undisclosed fee after he bagged 21 goals in all competitions for Swiss side Lugano in the previous campaign.
Furthermore, QPR brought goalkeeper Paul Nardi to the club, replacing veteran shot-stopper Asmir Begovic after his contract expired earlier this month. Some of the other notable arrivals include former Wigan Athletic loanee Liam Morrison and Brazilian fullback Hevertton Santos.
Nevertheless, Queens Park Rangers have had far more players leave the club than join. Most recently, Sinclair Armstrong signed for Bristol City, while Andre Dozzell, Begovic, and Chris Willock all left the club. The only departure from which QPR received a fee was Armstrong, who moved to Ashton Gate for a reported £2.5 million.
However, more players could potentially leave Loftus Road before the transfer window concludes at the end of August. It was revealed a few weeks ago by journalist Darren Witcoop that fullback Kenneth Paal was wanted by Tom Cleverley’s Watford, who are also hoping to avoid another dismal campaign in the forthcoming season.
Witcoop stated that Paal was high up on the Hornets’ radar but the Hertfordshire outfit had also been keeping tabs on Aston Villa star Lino Sousa as an alternative. Sousa spent the second half of last season on loan at Plymouth Argyle.
Now, Witcoop has provided an update on the Suriname international’s possible exit, reporting that Watford were still in the hunt to sign him this summer as left-back is a key priority for Cleverley before the season commences.
Writer’s View
The 27-year-old was a key player for Cifuentes last season as his Queens Park Rangers side turned around what looked to be a certain relegation and managed to stay in the Championship. Paal played 44 times in the league and 46 games in all competitions while recording five goal contributions from the left side of the backline.
Hence, it is not too surprising that Paal has suitors this summer following some fine displays since Cifuentes took charge of the team. Regardless, it has not yet been reported just how much QPR are looking for to accept a bid from a club like Watford or if they are even open to selling Paal over the coming weeks.
