QPR sent clear message on Ronnie Edwards, Southampton transfer - "He has to leave in January" | OneFootball

QPR had Ronnie Edwards on loan last season, and would be wise to see if they can get him back

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...

Ronnie Edwards is still struggling to nail down a starting berth at Southampton.

The 22-year-old has made eight Championship starts, but has spent a considerable amount of this season on the bench, and has played just four minutes across the Saints’ last four games.

It follows a productive loan spell with Queens Park Rangers towards the back end of last season, from which it felt like Edwards was set to kick on, especially with Southampton back in the Championship.

We asked our QPR fan pundit, Louis Moir, whether he believes his club should go back in for the young defender.

QPR must go back in for Ronnie Edwards

Speaking to Football League World, Louis said: “I think that you could argue that we may potentially need another centre-half.

“Obviously, [Jean] Clarke-Salter’s returning, or has returned, to full fitness, but you can't trust him. Liam Morrison, who's had a few iffy games and has had previous injury problems as well. Steve Cook’s not getting any younger. Jimmy Dunne, who’s just moved back to centre-half and then [Amadou Salif] Mbengue, and then you’re looking at youngsters.

“So, I think, yeah, we're in the market for one and I just think Ronnie Edwards is not playing for Southampton at all.

“He has to leave in January, and we simply have to be the club who signs him. We have to get him.

“We have to get him back and it looks like it could have happened later on in the summer. With Southampton now, they may be willing to sell him in January and just offload him now for some money because they seemed like they were not budging in the summer.

“And with how they're improving and with their situation, different manager and, you know, they've improved.

“They may be happy with what they've got or, you know, they might need to make funds as well to sign players in January too.

“So, look, I really hope we can sort a deal with them for Edwards. I'll be shocked if we don't go back in for him.

“But yeah, if we did manage to get our hands on him on a permanent as well, that would be amazing.

“I don't care if it's permanent or loan, Ronnie Edwards needs to be back at QPR.

“If everyone stayed fit and you had a centre half pair of Ronnie Edwards and Clarke-Salter, I mean, that's astonishing, really, for this level.

“And then, obviously, you’ve got Dunne and Mbengue as well; it would be so good, and he would just elevate us like he did last season, and I'm praying it happens.”

QPR are not as well-stocked as they seem in defence

On the face of it, for a four-at-the-back system, four natural centre-backs, plus cover from the likes of Dunne, is around optimum squad levels.

However, Clarke-Salter, as a key figure in that calculation, cannot be banked on for an entire season, having made more than 30 appearances in a single Championship season just once in the last seven campaigns.

Add that to Dunne being needed at right-back and Cook entering the twilight of his career, and suddenly the foundations appear shakier.

Only Mbengue is a new addition to the setup Edwards played in at the end of last season, and of the 21 Rangers matchday squads he was in, he started 20 of those games.

It therefore seems highly likely that he’d come in and find sufficient minutes were he to return to Loftus Road – a point clearly backed by the hierarchy, who reportedly tried to land a deadline-day deal for the defender.

And, in any case, he will certainly have an easier route to consistent game time there than with Southampton, who boast England international Taylor Harwood-Bellis, alongside Nathan Wood, Joshua Quarshie and club captain Jack Stephens.

At 22, having clearly shown that he is up to the level in the second tier, Edwards now needs to be playing regular football, and it seems that is much more likely with QPR, where he already has a strong reputation.

A loan would work, but the Saints are bursting with young defensive talent, so there is no evidence the situation on the south coast is set to change any time soon, so it could be time to look at a permanent move away; at Loftus Road, he would surely be welcomed with open arms.