Exclusive: Derby County and QPR in £0 transfer race for ex-Coventry City star | OneFootball

Jamie Allen has emerged as a target for Championship duo Derby County and QPR following his exit from Coventry City, Football League World understands

The free agent market always represents a potentially prosperous transfer avenue for Championship clubs to explore throughout the summer months - and it's exactly one of those deals that both Derby County and QPR are racing against each other to complete in preparation for the 2026/27 second-tier campaign, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

An exciting summer awaits at Pride Park, where Derby are anticipated to commence business with the permanent return of popular loanee Bobby Clark for a reported £6 million sum from Austrian outfit RB Salzburg following the talented midfielder's eye-catching loan campaign in the East Midlands.

David Clowes has hardly been shy about his spending since John Eustace took the reins in February of last year, but though the ex-Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers boss has been amply backed in recent windows, that doesn't mean that Derby are not also looking to complete cost-effective deals ahead of Championship rivals.

One of those is, of course, QPR, who will be looking to improve on last season's middling mid-table finish in what was Julien Stephan's debut season in the Loftus Road dugout and push towards potential play-off contention.

Plenty of work is required in order for that to play out in West London, yet the Hoops are already set to kick-start their summer activity with an impending deal for impressive NAC Breda left-back Boy Kemper and they also intend on completing moves closer to home as a hotly-contested free-agent battle with Derby awaits.

Derby County and QPR in transfer battle for ex-Coventry City star Jamie Allen

As mentioned, the free agent market represents the opportunity to land potential bargains and find value after it has been overlooked elsewhere, which is precisely what Derby and QPR are pursuing in the coming weeks.

Football League World can exclusively reveal that the free-agent in question is Jamie Allen, who is now out of contract and has emerged as a serious target for the two second-tier suitors following his departure from Premier League newcomers Coventry City.

FLW understands that both Derby and QPR are chasing Allen's signature ahead of a potential swoop, with the midfielder left to assess the options on the table as he weighs up his next steps this summer.

The 31-year-old is as tried-and-tested as they come at Championship level, having made exactly 200 appearances for Coventry across all competitions.

Allen featured on 23 occasions in second-tier action as Frank Lampard's side romped to the title and returned to the Premier League following a 25-year absence last time out, although just four of those were starts as the midfielder mustered up a total of merely 572 minutes on the pitch.

It was little surprise when Coventry decided against renewing Allen's terms at the CBS Arena after achieving promotion, although the ex-Burton Albion star is poised to find a strong landing spot elsewhere in the Championship as he fields interest from two competitive sides with aspirations of achieving a top-eight finish in the Rams and the Hoops.

Eustace remains on the search for additional midfield options despite the impending return of 21-year-old Clark, with David Ozoh having returned to parent club Crystal Palace following a second loan stint with Derby, which means a deal for Allen certainly makes a degree of sense.

QPR, meanwhile, could well have a clear void to fill if Sam Field leaves permanently after spending the second-half of last term on loan at Championship rivals Norwich City.

Whether Allen would establish himself as a consistent starter with either club remains very much open to debate, although he proved his worth as a valuable and often-underrated squad player for years in Coventry's rise from League One to the top-flight under both Mark Robins and Lampard, and Derby or QPR could land a real coup by adding the experienced midfield man to their ranks ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.