QPR fell flat with £500k Exeter City agreement | OneFootball

QPR's £500k move for Exeter City's David Wheeler in 2017 didn't pay dividends.

Queens Park Rangers had thought they'd unearthed a gem when they poached David Wheeler from Exeter City for £500k in 2017, but he would leave the club on a free just two years later, having made just a handful of appearances.

Wheeler's journey to professional football is one that will inspire any non-league footballer, as he was signed by League Two Exeter in 2013, having impressed on trial following an excellent season in the National League South with Staines Town.

The winger would go on to become a cult-hero at St James Park, playing a key role in Paul Tisdale's side, alongside current England and Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins, whom he formed somewhat of a dynamic duo with.

This saw Wheeler catch the eye of plenty of clubs higher up the food chain, and QPR were the side who landed the Exeter star in the summer of 2017, for a reported fee of around £500k.

However, this big move didn't go to plan for both parties, as Wheeler struggled for minutes, and would end up leaving the club on a free just two years later, having racked up only nine appearances for the R's in the Championship.

David Wheeler turned Championship heads with electric Exeter City form

Wheeler's arrival at St James Park in 2013 wasn't hugely eye-catching for supporters, as he was making the step-up from Staines in the National League South after a successful trial, so expectations for him to break into the first team wouldn't have been huge.

But the wide-man would grab this opportunity with both hands, and would feature 35 times in his first season in the EFL, scoring three goals and assisting a further three, which gave him a great platform to build upon.

Wheeler did just that, playing 45 times in League Two in the 2014/15 season, netting seven goals and seven assists, then adding another six goals and assists to his tally the following season, and establishing himself as one of Exeter's most important players.

Tisdale's side then began knocking on the door of promotion to League One, and their non-league import was a key component in their rise to becoming promotion contenders.

Wheeler's final season at St James Park would end in heartache at Wembley, losing out 2-1 to Blackpool in the League Two play-off final, in which he scored the equaliser, before Mark Cullen's late winner broke Grecians hearts.

At the end of the 2016/17 campaign, Wheeler had mustered an incredible 19 league goals and nine assists in 41 outings, and at 26 years old, was catching the eye of clubs higher up the EFL, as he approached the peak of his powers.

QPR would be the club to secure his services, splashing out a hefty £500k fee to bring the winger from the Devonian capital to Loftus Road, making him Ian Holloway's fifth summer signing.

During his time at Exeter, Wheeler made 171 appearances in four seasons, including 39 goals and 27 assists, becoming a fan favourite in the process, and a great example of the profit there is to be made from scouting non-league for gems.

QPR missed the mark with £500k David Wheeler deal

It seemed it would be £500k well spent by the Superhoops, as they had just landed a winger who had notched 28 goal contributions in his previous season, and was just approaching the peak of his powers at 26 years old.

However, Wheeler would never kick on at Loftus Road, despite scoring on his first start for the club in a 3-2 defeat to Middlesbrough in September 2017. He would pull on the shirt eight more times that season, and was loaned out to League One Portsmouth the following summer.

The former Exeter star didn't hit the ground running at Fratton Park either, making just 11 appearances for Pompey, before he was recalled and sent back out on loan to League Two MK Dons in the second-half of the 2018/19 campaign.

Whilst he would score the goal that got the Dons promoted to League One, Wheeler's R's career was over, and he would join Wycombe Wanderers on a free transfer in the summer of 2019, leaving Loftus Road with just nine appearances to his name.

Fortunately, Wheeler was a huge success under Gareth Ainsworth at Wycombe, and would get a proper shot at the Championship the following year, having won promotion via the play-offs in his first season at the club, and going on to make over 200 appearances for the Chairboys.

However, QPR certainly didn't get their money's worth with the £500k they spent bringing the attacker to W12, as he made just nine appearances in two years, and was eventually allowed to depart for free, leaving the R's to cut their losses.

The acquisition of Wheeler was an exciting one on paper, given the season he was riding high off when he joined the London-based club, but sadly it went down as a miss from QPR's perspective.