QPR urged to take action in one position in January - they've been called desperate for this | OneFootball

FLW's Rangers Fan Pundit thinks the club will "surely" sign a new right-back next month

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…

Queens Park Rangers have been urged to act decisively in the January transfer window to address a mounting concern in one position.

This past summer saw the R's bring in 11 new players to Loftus Road to play under Julien Stephan, and one of whom was right-back Kealey Adamson, for a reported £150k.

The Australian was apparently the 24/25 A-League's "stand-out" player in that position, according to the West London Club's CEO, Christian Nourry upon signing.

However, he's barely featured for the Frenchman this season, which has raised concerns for FLW's QPR Fan Pundit, Louis Moir - as he states the other options being played there are "not out-and-out right-backs".

Queens Park Rangers told they "desperately need a right-back" in the January transfer window

Moir began by telling FLW: "I’d say one thing that surely will happen in the January transfer window, that’s probably not been spoken about enough, is that we desperately need a right-back.

"Obviously, (we) started with Jimmy Dunne there. He was exceptional at right-back last season, hasn’t quite been on that same level at right-back this season, and we’ve switched around with him and Mbengue," the Fan Pundit added.

In Moir's eyes, the rotation between Dunne and Amadou Mbengue has seen mixed results. While he thinks it has worked on occasion, it masks the fact that they’re 'natural' centre-backs.

"It’s sort of worked well I suppose, but I just think neither of those two - Dunne or Mbengue - they’re not right-backs or out-and-out right-backs.

"If there was an injury or suspension or something severe happens in that position, which wouldn’t be surprising with us, we don’t actually have anyone," Moir continued.

In all fairness, the only natural right-back the West London club have in and around the first-team is the aforementioned Adamson. Although, Moir says the 22-year-old Australian is "clearly not up to it because he’s nowhere to be seen in the first-team, but he wasn’t a first-team signing so he’s in the development squad".

For Macarthur FC last season, Adamson made 26 appearances in Australia's top-flight while managing two goals and three assists. Considering he's a two-time winner of the country's equivalent of the FA Cup as well, it's perhaps for him to be missing like Moir suggests.

Calls for Queens Park Rangers to sign a "steady option" at right-back in the January transfer window

Moir’s main argument for QPR to pursue a right-back in January is down to the fact that neither Dunne nor Mbengue are natural right-backs by trade, and the Fan Pundit wants a “steady option” instead.

"We have to either loan or sign one in January to give us a bit more of a steady option there.

"Realistically, Dunne is a centre-half, he hasn’t been as good at right-back, Mbengue is a centre-half, he ain’t a right-back," Moir said.

Dunne first played on the right side of QPR's defence under then-manager Gareth Ainsworth in 2023, who explained to West London Sport that the Republic of Ireland international had "played there many times in a loan spell at Accrington Stanley".

In all fairness, there's probably a lot of other R's fans that think a Championship-level right-back would improve the club's defence straight away, and it might even allow Dunne to return exclusively to centre-back duties.

Mbengue will obviously be in a similar boat, which is why Moir concluded by claiming: "I just think we need one, we desperately need to sort that position out - come January."

Ultimately, the upcoming transfer window is an excellent opportunity for the club to address this pretty glaring gap, like Moir suggests. It's clear that Adamson isn't ready for consistent Championship football yet, but playing natural centre-backs there instead is surely not the right thing to do at this level.