QPR urged to plot Loftus Road transfer reunion with Everton man - 'talent-wise he was a joke' | OneFootball

FLW's Hoops fan pundit would love to see the return of Tim Iroegbunam to Loftus Road in January

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

As we edge closer towards the new year, fans in the Championship are speculating over who they could possibly bring in during the January transfer window to give themselves that extra boost.

For QPR, it's about filling in one or two more pieces of the puzzle to help give them the best chance possible of making an outside dash into the play-offs - something which looked a real possibility last month.

The Hoops were in the top six in the October international break, but as action looks to resume after the November one, they now sit six points off the play-offs after just one win in six.

Therefore, bringing in some fringe Premier League talent who may be eying some more consistent minutes in the second half of the season should be the goal for Julian Stephan's side, and FLW's QPR fan pundit, Loius Moir, hopes that they target someone who excelled at Loftus Road on loan in the 2022/23 campaign.

QPR fan pundit wants club to sign Everton's Tim Iroegbunam on loan in January

For Moir, a return to QPR for Tim Iroegbunam would be the most ideal January signing his club could do.

The 22-year-old spent a season on loan at Loftus Road during the 2022/23 campaign, whilst he was a youngster at Aston Villa, making 32 Championship appearances and scoring a couple of goals.

Iroegbunam's career has stalled somewhat since he made a £9 million move to Everton, with gametime being hard to come by under David Moyes.

He was linked with a move away to Sheffield United this past summer, and despite playing a small part in the Toffees' squad in the Premier League this term, Moir believes that he could still depart on loan in January.

"One player I would love to see on a loan deal is Tim Iroegbunam, who we've had before," he said.

"I know he's played a bit for Everton this season, but there were rumours of him departing on loan to the Championship this summer, and I think, as someone we've had on loan before, it'd be a dream signing to get him back.

"Talent-wise, he was a joke. What he could do on the ball, off it as well, defensively and going forward.

"I rated him quite highly, and if there was a possibility of him going out on loan before he fully cements himself as a Premier League starter, it could be a decent decision for him in the long term."

Despite starting three of the first four Premier League games this season, the 22-year-old has struggled for regular minutes, with Everton's latest win against Fulham being the only time he's been selected from the off since.

Iroegbunam clearly has an admirer in Moir, and if he were as good as the fan pundit believed three seasons ago, he'd most definitely have a positive impact in the Championship this term.

"You could imagine him in the middle with the likes of Jonathan Varane and Nicolas Madsen, and if Stephan wanted to play three midfielders, that'd be top-notch having them together," he continued.

"He's destined for big things, and definitely one of the best loans we've had ability-wise as well.

"He's a joy to watch, and if there's a chance of getting him back, we have to take it. He'd also give up depth in midfield and the ability to switch things up a lot more than we probably do.

"But overall, he's just a top, top player."

Everton may be open to letting Tim Iroegbunam leave Goodison Park this January — QPR should be on high alert

Reports are suggesting that Iroegbunam may once more be looking at a move away from Everton this January, after he remained at Goodison Park despite interest in the summer.

If that's the case, and a loan move is explored, QPR need to do whatever they can to ensure that they're one of the first names on the list of potential destinations.

Given it's a club that the 22-year-old knows well enough from his time there three years ago, it could give the Hoops an advantage if a race does break out. But Julian Stephan's side needs to get back on form soon to put themselves in a good position to win that race.

It's clear that Iroegbunam, if allowed to go on loan to the Championship in January, will be looking to join one of the better sides in the division to help assist them on a promotion push.

So, whilst QPR could have an outside chance with the 22-year-old in the team, they need to show enough without him over the coming months to be in a position to land him when the window opens.