Julien Stephan drops QPR transfer plan hint | OneFootball

Julien Stephan has said his squad needs more experience ahead of the summer window despite Steve Cook's departure

Queens Park Rangers are set for their 12th consecutive year in the Championship, with their season having fizzled out after showing signs of promise, as attention will already be turning to the summer transfer window.

In what is his first year in English football, Stephan will have mixed feelings about how his inaugural campaign with QPR has gone.

At one stage, the R's looked well-placed to go on and claim a top six spot, but inconsistent form has meant that, with two games to go, they have nothing to play for, sitting 12 points off the top six and 14 above the drop zone.

Stephan will likely retain his place in the Loftus Road dugout for another year, and ahead of this summer, the French boss will be keen to get to work in terms of improving his squad, and has already outlined what he thinks his side needs to kick on.

Julien Stephan reveals QPR's transfer plan this summer amid Steve Cook's departure

The first piece of transfer business has already been announced at QPR, as veteran defender Steve Cook is set to leave the club at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract, with his final game coming in the club's 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City on Tuesday night.

The R's have offered him the chance to stay in West London by way of joining the club as a coach to the Under-21's, though whether the former Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest defender will continue his playing career elsewhere or embark on his coaching career remains to be seen.

Despite allowing Cook to leave, Stephan has echoed his intentions of adding experience to his youthful side this summer, saying: "It depends not on me and the players, it depends on what we want to do all collectively – the club – to take some decisions and see if we can have more experience next season.

"It’s fantastic to develop young players, but in this league if have only young players it doesn’t work.

"You need to have some experience. You need some maturity. You need to have some players who know exactly what it means to play against different kinds of teams and different kinds of football.

"It’s really important for the young players to find consistency, but they need to have some experienced players around them."

With Cook leaving imminently, this leaves QPR's oldest outfield player as 31-year-old Isaac Hayden, with the midfielder set to be the only outfield player in the squad over the age of 30 heading into next season.

The R's possess a particularly youthful attack, with Richard Kone (22), Karamoko Dembele (23), Justin Obikwu (21), Koki Saito (24), and Kwame Poku (24), with each of Harvey Vale (22), Jonathan Varane (24), and Ronnie Edwards (23) all below the age of 25 in the squad, and all likely to be key in Stephan's plans next year.

It's therefore unsurprising that, especially with the loss of Cook, QPR are looking to add some more experience to their ranks to help the younger heads.

The French boss will be well aware of what he is after heading into the window, as experience seems to be the priority for QPR this summer.

Julien Stephan needs to carefully balance youth and experience in his QPR squad

Stephan knows exactly how to develop young players, as during his time with Stade Rennes, he helped to improve the likes of Raphinha, Eduardo Camavinga, Jeremy Doku, and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

Certainly, QPR fans will be hoping his magic will rub off on some of their younger talent in the coming years, but the Frenchman knows that experience surrounding younger heads can be invaluable, especially in the Championship.

Across a 46-game season, with numerous other cup competitions thrown in the mix, it can be a long and draining campaign for the best of players, and the younger members of the squad will need guidance on how to manage such a heavy year.

With Cook going, new leaders in the dressing room will be of the utmost importance for Stephan, as he outlines his transfer intentions in West London this summer.