Bristol Rovers faithful may be surprised by £10m QPR transfer claims: View | OneFootball

Jake Clarke-Salter had his first taste of senior football on loan with Bristol Rovers in 2017, but somewhat struggled at the Memorial Stadium

Jake Clarke-Salter has become a key player for QPR since making the move from Chelsea in the summer of 2022, and it's fair to say that it might have come as a surprise to Bristol Rovers supporters.

The central defender had his first proper taste of senior football at the Memorial Stadium, joining Rovers on a season-long loan for the 2016/17 season, and big things were expected from the Chelsea man, but he flattered to deceive in the West Country.

Since his loan spell with the Gas, Clarke-Salter has come on leaps and bounds, and has established himself as a solid Championship defender. He was linked with a number of top-flight clubs during the summer transfer window, and despite remaining with QPR this time around, he could well make the step-up in the near future, which may surprise the Bristol Rovers faithful.

Clarke-Salter was seen as a big prospect at Chelsea and had represented England throughout the different youth levels, so it looked like a serious coup for Rovers, who were making a return to League One after winning two consecutive promotions.

The young defender had made his first-team bow for Chelsea the previous season, playing a Premier League game towards the end of the season, and the loan at Rovers was sanctioned to help him develop and get some first-team football under his belt.

However, he struggled for regular minutes at the Memorial Stadium, and despite spending the whole season in Bristol, he played just 13 games in total, making just nine league starts.

It was quite apparent that Clarke-Salter wasn't quite ready for men's football, with the step up from Premier League 2 to League One being a big one in terms of physicality.

The youngster wasn't helped by injuries, but there's no doubt that the Memorial Stadium faithful would have expected far better from the highly-rated youngster.

His time at Bristol Rovers was followed by a number of other unsuccessful loan spells further up the pyramid, and it wasn't until he joined QPR on a permanent basis that he really began to show what he was capable of.

However, Rovers fans who saw Clarke-Salter play for them during the 2016/17 season will be shocked to hear of transfer interest from Premier League clubs now, with the youngster unable to find his feet at League One level.

£10m QPR transfer claim will shock Bristol Rovers fans

Clarke-Salter was reportedly attracting transfer interest from the likes of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Celtic and Stoke City earlier this year, according to Football Insider and John Percy of The Telegraph, so it's fair to say that he's been a man in demand.

The Hoops placed a £10million price-tag on Clarke-Salter, as per Football Insider, and not many people would have seen that sort of fee being demanded for the defender a couple of years ago.

While Bristol Rovers would have been disappointed with what they saw from Clarke-Salter during his loan spell, it could have actually been a good thing for him in the long-run, and you could argue that he would have learned more from a tough spell in League One than he would have if everything had gone his way playing in Premier League 2 for Chelsea's U21 side.

Finding a permanent home at QPR has done Clarke-Salter the world of good, and he's been one of the first names on the teamsheet for Marti Cifuentes since the 2024/25 season got underway.

It wouldn't be a surprise if the defender sealed a move away from Loftus Road in the coming seasons, and Bristol Rovers will know that they would have played some sort of role in his development, despite the player not enjoying the best of times at the Memorial Stadium.