Charlton Athletic were winners from £2m QPR deal - Striker's new club may surprise many | OneFootball

QPR signed Macauley Bonne from Charlton Athletic for £2 million in 2020.

Charlton Athletic were the clear winners of the deal that saw Macauley Bonne sign for Queens Park Rangers in 2020.

The striker completed a move to Loftus Road for £2 million following the Addicks' relegation from the Championship at the end of the 2019/20 season, having only joined the club from Leyton Orient for £200,000 during the summer transfer window the previous year.

Bonne had netted 11 goals in the second tier during his debut season at The Valley, which convinced the Rs that he would be able to strengthen their options in the final third, but he did not live up to expectations at his new club.

The Zimbabwe international only managed to score three goals in 44 appearances for QPR, before his contract was terminated by mutual consent in January 2023 and he re-joined Charlton on a free transfer for the remainder of their 2022/23 League One campaign.

There is no denying that the move did not work out for Bonne or QPR, with the fact that Charlton made a £1.8 million profit and re-signed the player for nothing making them the clear winners of the deal.

QPR move did not work out for Macauley Bonne

Not only did Bonne's move to QPR not work out on the pitch, but the comments he made after joining the club made it difficult for him to endear himself to Charlton supporters when he returned to South East London.

Bonne discussed his decision to leave Charlton at the time of the transfer, as per QPR's official club website.

"I am really pleased and happy it's finally done," he said.

"I can't wait to get started now.

"The second I heard there was interest, my head was turned.

"I'll easily say that - my head was turned straight away."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, those comments were not appreciated by Charlton supporters given that the Addicks had given Bonne an opportunity to prove himself in the Championship, having previously only been prolific in non-league.

The striker's second spell at Charlton only lasted half a season, and his fractured relationship with their fans was evident whenever he came up against them while playing for Gillingham, Cambridge United or Southend United.

Who knows whether Bonne would have continued his goalscoring form if he had chosen to stay in SE7 rather than joining QPR, but there is no doubt that his decision did not pay off in hindsight.

Bonne's new club may surprise many

Bonne left National League side Southend at the end of his contract earlier this summer, and his new club may come as a surprise to EFL fans that have previously seen him score goals at Championship level.

The 29-year-old has signed for Isthmian League North Division side Maldon & Tiptree, and will be playing his home games at a ground with a capacity of 2,800 this season.

A little over five years on from when he was scoring goals for Charlton against reputable clubs including Fulham, Brentford, Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion, he will now be facing the likes of Bowers & Pitsea, Downham Town and Brightlingsea Regent.

Charlton and QPR supporters may not be overly shocked by Bonne's career path, but many followers of the EFL will be surprised by the level the striker finds himself at, especially considering he will only turn 30 later this month.