What is Richard Kone’s estimated QPR transfer value after £10m-£15m claim issued | OneFootball

How much is the Hoops' star signing said to be worth in the current market?

Queens Park Rangers have well and truly emerged from the shadows in recent weeks, with Julien Stephan's side enjoying a fine run of form prior to the current October international break.

After previously worrying about potential relegation battles prior to the appointment of the Frenchman's predecessor and current Leicester City boss, Marti Cifuentes, the Loftus Road faithful are starting to finally have a positive outlook on the long-term future of their football club.

Stephan's appointment in mid-June to replace the Spaniard after a 15th-place finish with a total of 56 points to the Hoops' name was met with a strong sense of excitement when taking his previous Ligue 1 pedigree into account.

Indeed, the 47-year-old enjoyed relative success with both Stade Rennais and RC Strasbourg, which included a run in European football with the Brittany-based side during his first stint - such as a maiden venture into the UEFA Champions League - as well as defeating Paris Saint Germain in the Coupe de France final in 2021.

Having previously overseen the development of some of European football's top talents, none more so than recent Ballon D'Or winner, Ousmane Dembélé, as well as Desire Doue and Jeremy Doku, whilst at Roahzon Park, it's clear that Stephan knows a good player when he sees one, and that has certainly proven to be the case in the early weeks of his tenure at W12.

Rangers made 13 acquisitions in total during the summer window, yet none of them have impressed more than clinical frontman, Richard Kone.

With that being said, FLW have looked at the 22-year-old's ESTIMATED worth at present amid claims that he could be valued at up to £15m based on current form.

Richard Kone's estimated market value after £10-15m claim

Kone image credit - Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

Kone was the subject of mass transfer discourse across the summer after excelling in League One for Wycombe Wanderers last term under Matt Bloomfield and Mike Dodds.

The Ivorian scored 21 times and posted a further four assists across all competitions for the Chairboys, subsequently being named as the PFA's League One Player of the Year in August for his stellar form at Adams Park.

Yet, with Wycombe falling short of promotion in the play-off semi-finals, Kone's step-up to the Championship on an individual was inevitable, and the Hoops were able to land his signature ahead of Preston North End for at least £2.75m.

So far, the well-rounded striker has started his spell at Rangers in inspired form, scoring four goals in eight games, subsequently being named by Sky Sports pundit, Lee Hendrie, as one of the three most exciting players in the division alongside Abdul Fatawu and Jeremy Monga of Leicester City in an exclusive interview with Football League World.

As such, FLW's Queens Park Rangers fan pundit, Louis Moir, believes the R's are likely make a significant profit on the aforementioned investment, claiming that Kone could currently be worth between £10-15m.

Yet, for all the plaudits he's received for a plethora of stunning performances and goals, Transfermarkt hasn't exactly latched on to the hype, with Kone's current ESTIMATED market value said to be just €3.2m, which equates to £2.77m - only approximately £200,000 more than the lowest possible fee Wycombe are said to receive from the aforementioned agreement.

Of course, it is easy to get swept away in the hype surrounding a new player that hits the ground running, meaning that claims of being worth £10-15m after just eight career games in the second tier may be slightly outlandish.

However, given the form of other strikers in the league and their previous transfer fees, you would, naturally, expect to have seen Kone's current value fluctuate slightly higher.

Indeed, Kone isn't the top-valued player at Loftus Road either, with such an honour going to long-serving playmaker Ilias Chair, who is still recovering from a back injury which has sidelined him from partaking in the R's impressive start to the season.

Such developments aren't likely to have an impact on Kone's performances though, with the striker adapting to Championship life like a duck to water. Therefore, if he hits at least double-figures, Stephan's side will potentially be in with a chance of a play-off spot or beyond, and in turn, seeing his valuation take an astronomical leap.