Sunderland & Southampton outcasts can give QPR the dream start to January | OneFootball

Rangers will be hoping to strengthen their squad in January as they are firmly in the play-off hunt

It has been an encouraging first half of the campaign for Queens Park Rangers, who are looking to make their way into the play-off positions come the end of the season under Julien Stephan's watch.

The Frenchman arrived at Loftus Road in June after a long-standing managerial search which followed Marti Cifuentes' somewhat controversial exit with two games of last season still to play, and such a decision was initially met with optimism that the West London side could eventually make strides of progress up the Championship table.

It has been well-documented that for a handful of years, those in charge of the Hoops have been particularly hamstrung in terms of resources - particularly in terms of finances - as the club were forced to count the cost of overspending during a spell of three Premier League campaigns in four years during the early to mid-2010s.

Stephan, though, was able to oversee an extremely active and exciting first transfer window in charge of the W12 outfit, which included a handful of gems from the lower reaches of the EFL, who have already turned out to be bargain additions to a squad known for its attacking prowess under the former Stade Rennais and RC Strasbourg manager, who had previously worked with the likes of Ousmane Dembélé and Desire Doue during his time at Roahzon Park.

As such, the 45-year-old has certainly brought the best out of Rumarn Burrell, who was signed from Burton Albion, whilst Richard Kone and Amadou Mbengue have also aclimatised to life in the capital after their own moves from Wycombe Wanderers and Reading respectively.

As many as 11 transfers were made during the summer by the Hoops, who will be on the lookout for further reinforcements between New Year's Day and 7PM on February 2nd.

With that being said, Football League World have identified two players whose potential arrivals in W12 would make it a dream start to the transfer window for Rangers and their supporters.

Anthony Patterson

Despite their free-flowing nature at the top end of the pitch under Stephan, concerns have certainly been raised when it comes to Rangers' ability to shut up shop in games, as entertaining as that may be for some sections of the Loftus Road crowd.

The goalkeeper position in this part of West London, in particular, has been somewhat problematic, with Joe Walsh starting the season between the sticks, before subsequently being replaced by Paul Nardi after suffering an injury setback.

As experienced as Nardi is, the Frenchman has been the subject of regular criticism, often due to his decision-making, such as opting to punch crosses and the occasional shot clear, which could invite further opposition attacks, instead of gathering first-time and potentially starting an attack for his own side.

Anthony Patterson has also been prone to the occasional mistake during his time with boyhood club, Sunderland. However, it is completely understandable, at this point, why the Newcastle native has emerged as a January target for the R's.

Across three seasons of Championship football after helping his boyhood club achieve promotion through the League One play-offs in 2021/22, the 25-year-old boasted a record of 41 clean sheets across 133 appearances, with 14 of those coming last term as the Black Cats returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

However, the arrival of Robin Roefs has seen Patterson's gametime majorly reduced, only featuring in an EFL Cup defeat to Huddersfield Town in August, subsequently being linked with the likes of Rangers, Southampton and Leicester City.

Therefore, as well as being a major boost between the sticks, a loan move for the Sunderland man would also force two play-off rivals to look elsewhere.

Ronnie Edwards

With Rangers somewhat light on numbers at centre-back, a swoop for former loanee and Southampton outcast, Ronnie Edwards, would also be a dream move of sorts.

Jake Clarke-Salter has been in and out of the side of late due to a long-awaited return from injury, leaving just Liam Morrison, Steve Cook and Jimmy Dunne as further first-choice options at the heart of defence, and any potential injuries or suspensions to said trio would only raise concerns about depth.

Edwards excelled in W12 in the second half last season under Cifuentes, and it was no surprise that the club were actively pushing for a reunion in the summer despite a change of manager.

Even more so, from a personal perspective, the former Peterborough United ace could also be attracted back to Loftus Road having fallen down the pecking order since Tonda Eckert, who has since been given the permanent Saints job, was installed as interim last month following the dismissal of Will Still.