QPR backed to move for ex-Luton Town striker for £0 - he would be "a top signing" | OneFootball

Elijah Adebayo would be a good signing for Queens Park Rangers, if they can make room for him, after his departure from Luton Town.

Queens Park Rangers will believe that a second season under the management of former Stade Rennais boss Julien Stephan will see them launch a promotion challenge next season and the signing of Elijah Adebayo would bolster their squad.

QPR finished in the bottom-half of the Championship table last year after an inconsistent debut campaign under Stephan – but one that still produced some encouraging signs for the future.

With a young and exciting squad and a coach that has earned a reputation for nurturing and developing young talent, QPR will believe that the expansion to eight teams for the play-offs is well within their grasp this upcoming season.

QPR have invested heavily in the striking department in the recent past with Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell arriving from Wycombe Wanderers and Burton Albion respectively last summer.

The departure of Elijah Adebayo from Luton Town at the end of his contract being confirmed this week will alert a lot of clubs and QPR may be among them – but their squad may have to be tweaked in order to bring him in.

Elijah Adebayo leaves Luton Town - should QPR make their move?

Having played just twice in League One last season due to injury, Elijah Adebayo is now looking for a new club and the quality he has shown previously could and perhaps should see him land back in the Championship.

QPR have some exciting attacking options but Adebayo would certainly add to that. However, FLW’s QPR Fan Pundit Louis Moir believes a departure will be required should The Hoops pursue the 28-year-old.

Louis told FLW: “I think if we did need a striker then I’d be all over Adebayo.

“I think I’d love to see that sort of deal happen but our current squad in that position, we don’t need a striker unless one leaves.

“(Richard) Kone, realistically, is not going to go unless big money comes and the same for (Rumarn) Burrell. (Justin) Obikwu, we haven’t seen him yet – we’ve still got (Rayan) Kolli.

“Out of all of them, the likeliest to go is probably Kolli but even then, if he was to go, you’ve still got three there.

“Saying that, you probably do need four strikers in the Championship. That is probably what you need to go and compete over 46 games.

“With Adebayo, it wasn’t long ago he had a more than decent season in the Prem for Luton.

“He was always a danger when we played them and is a player that I’ve really liked actually, in the last few years.

“With his pace, he’s strong, gets in good positions and can cause problems. If he can stay fit then on a free transfer, there would probably be a lot of clubs in the Championship looking at him to be honest.

“He would just add more pace and power to our attacking options.

“Really, it comes back to the realistic possibility with it with the current state of our squad with four strikers, including Kolli, we’re just not going to sign one.

“If things were to change then yes 100%, I’d be all over Adebayo. He’s not even that old still. If he stays fit then he’s a big, big danger in this league I tell you that.

“He’s a good player Adebayo and he’s done well against us many a time. If we were to get him on a free transfer, all things considered, it would be a top signing.”

A player that managed just two appearances at a level below signing on a free transfer may not immediately be seen as a ‘coup’ but Elijah Adebayo has the potential to be a brilliant pick up for a second-tier club this season and especially for QPR.

The Fulham academy graduate, who played for Slough Town, Bognor Regis Town, Cheltenham Town, Swindon Town and Stevenage, has shown he has the quality, as well as the pedigree and experience, to be a more than useful addition for a club seeking to improve in the Championship next year.

Having arrived at Walsall on a permanent basis in the summer of 2018, he began with eight goals in 30 appearances for The Saddlers before scoring ten in 25 in the first half of the 2020/21 campaign to get the attention of Luton.

At the time, The Hatters earned themselves a reputation for finding and developing talent – and Adebayo made a huge impact at Kenilworth Road.

After a 16-goal season in his first full campaign in Bedfordshire and his first season at a level as high as the Championship, Adebayo then helped Town earn their remarkable promotion to the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign.

In the top-flight, Adebayo continued to develop and show his quality, hitting double figures in just 27 appearances for a Luton side that struggled for goals and were eventually relegated after one campaign, scoring nearly a fifth of their goals in the top-flight.

A disappointing return to the Championship for a side that were a bit of a mess and saw themselves suffer back-to-back relegations and then an injury-hit 2025/26 campaign has seen Adebayo’s reputation fall – but the player he once was should remain when he gets fully fit.

His physicality and experience is something that the young and sometimes naïve QPR side, often crying out for an alternative in games that drift, would mean that he could be a smart addition for the R’s this summer – should they make room for him in their squad.