Wycombe Wanderers' transfer patience paid off, QPR windfall made it more worthwhile | OneFootball

Wycombe Wanderers had to be patient when signing Richard Kone, which proved to pay dividends after receiving a hefty cash windfall from QPR.

Wycombe Wanderers had to play the patient game when signing Richard Kone from Athletic Newham, but it all paid off eventually, with Queens Park Rangers giving the Blues a club-record fee for the striker.

It's fair to say that going into the 2024/25 season, not many people who aren't connected with Wycombe would've been familiar with Kone, as he'd only just arrived from the ninth tier of English football six months prior.

However, he quickly became one of the most talked about players in the EFL, with his electric goalscoring form helping the South Buckinghamshire side reach the summit of the League One table, and attracting plenty of interest from elsewhere.

It seemed inevitable that Kone would depart the club if Wycombe failed to gain promotion, as that sadly happened in the summer, when QPR won the race for one of the most sought after strikers, in a deal that could be worth around £5m in the future.

This record fee softened the blow of losing the 22-year-old, and proved that the Chairboys were right to play the patient game whilst initially trying to sign Kone, which landed them a stunning profit.

From the ninth tier to club record sale — the story of Richard Kone at Wycombe Wanderers

Kone image credit - Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

Wycombe have had some wonderful strikers in the past decade. The likes of Adebayo Akinfenwa, Sam Vokes, and Craig Mackail-Smith spring to mind, but none quite match the level of their most recent prodigy, Kone.

Signed from Essex Senior League side Athletic Newham on New Year's Day 2024, the Ivorian had been on trial with the Chairboys in the summer, but wasn't able to sign for the club until January due to issues surrounding his work permit.

Fortunately, manager Matt Bloomfield and the recruitment team remained patient, keeping the striker training with the side and playing in practice matches, before eventually getting the deal over the line on the first day of 2024.

There was instant excitement surrounding Kone, as his stunning goal return for Athletic Newham was indicative of a talent who was a natural goalscorer, and the hype continued after he netted on his Wycombe debut against West Ham United U21s in the EFL Trophy.

Kone spent his first six months in professional football adapting to the level, playing 17 times in League One, scoring three goals and chipping in with three assists. He even led the line for the Wanderers at Wembley, as they were defeated by Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy final.

You could see towards the end of the campaign that the Ivorian was developing into a special player, and supporters were quietly confident the striker would go on to tear up League One the following season.

Kone didn't disappoint, as he scored on the opening day against Wrexham, and would go on to bag 17 more goals that season, including a 10-minute hat-trick from the bench against Peterborough, earning him plenty of interest from elsewhere the following summer.

Wanderers' resolve was tested in January, as four bids from Bloomfield's Luton Town came, but the Buckinghamshire side held their own, turning down all three approaches from their former manager, which were reportedly worth up to £7m.

From the outside looking in, many may have thought that the Chairboys were silly not to take the higher offer from the Hatters in January, but truth be told, it wasn't worth the risk of derailing a promotion push by allowing the 22-year-old to leave mid-season.

Whilst Wycombe would miss out on promotion, and Kone's goals dried up after an injury at a pivotal time in the season, they were rewarded with a club record fee, when QPR signed their star man for an initial £2.75m, which could rise to £5m.

It's fair to say that the patience Wycombe showed whilst waiting for Kone paid dividends, as they reaped the rewards of his goalscoring form, and received a massive profit, with an invested interest that could come into play in the future.

Despite higher bids from Luton, they still pocketed an excellent profit for their 18 months of hard work with Kone, and made the right decision by continuing to pursue his signature when issues arose, preventing him signing in the summer.

Colchester United, who also took the Ivorian on trial back in 2021, didn't manage to get around the work permit issue, but Wycombe did, and their gamble paid off big time, landing them a club record cash windfall.