QPR and West Brom eyeing £0 transfer swoop for 10-goal star | OneFootball

The Championship pair are both plotting moves for the FC Lorient man.

West Brom and QPR will both be targeting significant progress on the pitch after underwhelming Championship seasons.

Albion went through three separate bosses and ultimately finished the campaign four points clear of the drop zone under ex-Baggies midfield hero James Morrison, who steadied the ship and ensured safety amid a last-grasp points deduction.

As for the Hoops, they ended the campaign in rotten form, finishing in 15th place and will be aiming for at least a top-half finish next term.

While the goals flowed much more freely in West London, both clubs are looking at the same striker who will be on show this summer at the World Cup.

West Brom and QPR keen on FC Lorient's Bamba Dieng

Senegal will enter the World Cup with genuine optimism of progressing deep into the knockout stages despite being grouped with France and Norway.

They triumphed at the Africa Cup of Nations, at least on the pitch, and possess a squad brimming with quality, and among their strikeforce is FC Lorient's Bamba Dieng.

The 26-year-old has 22 international caps to his name and netted 10 times in the league for his club this term as they finished in mid-table in Ligue 1.

Bamba Dieng is out of contract this summer, and West Brom and QPR are plotting moves for him, according to transfer correspondent Peter O'Rourke.

The forward enjoyed the best returns of his career this season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions, having played in France his entire senior career with Marseille, Angers SCO and Lorient.

Who needs Bamba Dieng more?

As previously mentioned, it is the Baggies who desperately need to improve their attack, as their 48 goals may not be enough to keep them in the Championship next term.

Only Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford United, Blackburn Rovers and Charlton Athletic scored fewer, with Aune Heggebo the club's top scorer with nine.

With Daryl Dike departing on a free transfer this summer, there is room for another forward, and given that Bamba Dieng can play as a central striker or out wide, he would be a versatile option.

While QPR managed better numbers in the second tier, none of their strikers recorded outstanding totals, so another forward may be just what they need.

Richard Kone netted 11 times in all competitions and at 22 he has a big future ahead of him, while Rumarn Burrell scored 10 goals and is a decent option. The pair could both improve considerably in 26/27 and the Hoops even have the services of highly-rated young forward Rayan Kolli to call upon, too, leaving many supporters to believe that reinforcements in the backline and between the sticks are of a much higher importance instead.

Hoops supporters will certainly be hoping that their club strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch though, as only Wednesday conceded more goals than QPR's 73.

It is clear that West Brom are crying out for goals this summer and could do with Bamba Dieng more than the R's, but given that he will be a free agent, they would likely face competition from across Europe and it remains to be seen how the in-demand frontman really feels about potentially playing second-tier football next term considering his top-flight goalscoring pedigree.