Queens Park Rangers are closing in on the signing of French midfielder Jonathan Varane, as has been reported this week, but talks have seemingly hit a slight snag.
Journalist Darren Witcoop revealed on Monday afternoon that the West London outfit were willing to listen to offers for star defender Jake Clarke-Salter, who made 33 appearances for the club last season as Marti Cifuentes’ side pulled off an astounding survival in the Championship despite being six points below safety when the Spaniard took the reins early in the campaign.
Witcoop claimed that Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers have continued to monitor the 26-year-old centre-half and are weighing up a move for him this summer after losing Max Kilman to league rivals West Ham United for a whopping £40 million. Like Kilman, Clarke-Salter is also left-footed, hence why Wolves have been keeping tabs on his situation at Loftus Road.
Furthermore, Witcoop has stated that Queens Park Rangers are open to selling the former Chelsea academy graduate “for the right price” as Cifuentes is keen to use any money from the sale to bolster his attacking department.
Additionally, it was recently reported that fullback Kenneth Paal is being linked with a move to fellow Championship side Watford as Hornets head coach Tom Cleverley looks to strengthen his backline before the start of the new campaign.
With these two potential sales in mind, French outlet L’Equipe revealed on Tuesday that QPR are close to acquiring the signature of Sporting Gijon midfielder Jonathan Varane, the half-brother of ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane. The publication claimed that Rangers face competition for the player from Ligue 2 side Metz but are the favourites to complete a deal after offering £1 million to Sporting Gijon, a number that their competitor is currently unable to match.
However, El Comercio, via Inside Futbol, added a further update to this transfer saga not long after the news emerged, reporting that a deal has hit a minor stumbling block as there are small details that are taking longer than expected to resolve. Additionally, it is said that the Spanish club have sent a counter-proposal to the R’s and are waiting for the English side to respond.
Writer’s View
Queens Park Rangers have been eyeing up a move for Varane since the January transfer window when it was initially reported that the club would look to make an attempt to acquire his services. It was believed that Norwich City were also in the running for his signature, although the 22-year-old remained in Spain for the rest of the 2023/24 season.
Nevertheless, with a cash windfall expected from either the sale of Clarke-Salter or his defensive partner Paal before the end of the window, QPR may now have a little wiggle room in their transfer kitty, although it is currently unknown what is holding up a deal.
