QPR star's new challenge? Burnley, Middlesbrough & Southampton should eye summer swoop | OneFootball

Three clubs that could look to sign Ilias Chair from QPR this summer

Ilias Chair has been a crucial player for QPR over the years since joining from Belgian side Lierse in 2017.

The Morocco international has over 250 Championship appearances for the club.

The 28-year-old has cemented himself as a key part of the squad, but this has been a turbulent campaign for the playmaker.

Chair has been unable to make as much of an impact under Julien Stéphan, scoring just once from his 11 appearances, with his last game coming in December.

While he agreed a long-term contract with QPR just over a year ago, perhaps a move away from Loftus Road in the summer could be the best move for all parties at this stage, after years of speculation that he would move onto bigger and better things.

Here we look at three clubs that should be eyeing a swoop for Chair when the transfer market opens at the end of the season.

Burnley

The Clarets are looking increasingly likely to suffer relegation back to the Championship this season.

Scott Parker’s side have struggled with chance creation, despite the efforts of Zian Flemming, and could use some added firepower in the summer.

Only Wolves, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest have scored fewer goals, and the Lancashire outfit have also generated the lowest expected goals (xG) figure, with a total of 25.9 heading into the weekend.

If QPR are ready to sanction Chair’s exit in the summer, then a move to Burnley could make a lot of sense.

The 28-year-old is still a top Championship player, if he can get back to his best, and he could help Burnley in what will likely be a pursuit of promotion back to the Premier League next year.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough are in this season’s hunt for an automatic promotion place, with the team seeking a return to the top flight for the first time since 2017.

Whether they gain a place in the Premier League or not, having someone of Chair’s creativity and attacking quality could be quite useful next season.

The Morocco international could provide some depth for life in the Premier League, if they get there, or he could be a big difference-maker in the Championship next year, if they cannot get over the line.

He’d be a natural fit into Kim Hellberg’s first team plan, and someone who has consistently provided goals and assists for QPR over the years could really thrive under the Swede.

Southampton

Southampton’s misfiring in front of goal has been very costly this season, with the team recently underperforming their xG of 62 by scoring a total of 60 times in the Championship.

The team has the third-best attack by xG in the division, but they are still some way off league leaders Coventry, who have a tally of 78 goals from an xG of 72.

Meanwhile, Ipswich’s xG total of 63 is the only one higher than the Saints, so it’s clear that Tonda Eckert’s side can attack well, but they lack that cutting edge to take them into automatic promotion contention.

Someone like Chair could prove quite useful in bridging that gap, particularly if they ultimately miss out on a play-off place this season. He would add competition to Finn Azaz and offer an exciting addition in 2026/27.