QPR in crunch contract talks with £7.5k-p/w player ahead of potential January transfer dilemma | OneFootball

Paul Smyth's future at Loftus Road remains unclear at present

Queens Park Rangers currently remain locked in contract talks with winger Paul Smyth, as the Northern Ireland international will see his current deal at Loftus Road expire at the end of the campaign if new terms cannot be agreed.

That is according to West London Sport, with Julien Stephan hoping to see the forward extend his stay in W12 for the upcoming seasons after recently seeing his gametime gradually increase of late as the Hoops have built a strong run of momentum prior to Christmas.

Indeed, Rangers have emerged victorious in five of their past seven Championship outings, with Saturday's 4-1 demolition of Leicester City also providing extra satisfaction as the Foxes failed to provide any sort of contest for Stephan's side under the management of his predecessor in W12, Marti Cifuentes.

Smyth would only play five of the 90-plus minutes in West London over the course of the weekend as he was introduced in place of Koki Saito in the dying embers of the capital club's latest success.

In fairness, the game was already over by said point, with the Hoops seeing themselves race into a 4-0 lead at the interval courtesy of goals from the aforementioned Saito, Richard Kone, the in-form Rumarn Burrell and fellow summer recruit, Amadou Mbengue.

Although Leicester would provide their supporters with a consolation from Silko Thomas with eight minutes left on the clock, the latest three-point haul for Stephan's men has seen them accumulate 34 points from the opening 22 matches.

As such, they now reside in seventh, just one place and a point behind local rivals, Millwall, heading towards a relentless upcoming schedule, where Smyth will hope to receive ample minutes as the French boss will have to maximise his squad.

The Northern Irishman has been a divisive figure throughout his second spell. But, his performances so far this season have seen sections of the Loftus Road support reverse their verdicts, and it is perhaps no great deal of surprise that Rangers are hoping to tie the wide player down to a new contract.

Fresh Paul Smyth, Queens Park Rangers contract update emerges ahead of January

Smyth's ties with the Hoops have been well-documented over time, with his current spell representing a second stint in West London, and one which could end at the end of the campaign if the two aforementioned parties cannot reach a desired conclusion.

Indeed, the Belfast native was first acquired by Rangers back in the summer of 2017 under Ian Holloway from NIFL Premiership outfit, Linfield.

After breaking into the first-team fold a handful of months later, the man, who has since racked up 22 international appearances and two goals, went on to feature in just 23 games across all competitions for the Rs before departing in the summer of 2021 amid a plethora of loan spells with sides such as Accrington Stanley, Wycombe Wanderers and Charlton Athletic.

Yet, after two impressive seasons with Leyton Orient under Richie Wellens, which included a campaign of 10 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions as the East London side secured the League Two title three years ago, Smyth found himself returning to Loftus Road under Gareth Ainsworth on a three-year deal after becoming a free agent.

The 28-year-old has since been a regular fixture under a trio of managers/head coaches in the form of his former Wycombe boss, Cifuentes and now Stephan.

Across the opening four months of the current campaign, the Northern Irishman has featured in 16 Championship outings on either the left or right wing under the former Stade Rennais and RC Strasbourg boss, scoring three times and providing a solitary assist.

As such, with his current deal having just over six months remaining, Rangers are looking to secure a new contract for Smyth after previous talks were held in the off-season, although no agreement could be reached.

However, as per West London Sport's fresh report, it has been claimed there are indications that he will put pen to paper and extend his stay in W12.

Paul Smyth contract extension would be welcomed by Queens Park Rangers supporters

Despite starting in less than half of his appearance tally for the season so far, a contract extension for Smyth, who is said to be on an ESTIMATED base wage of £7,500 per week at Loftus Road, would be welcomed by supporters.

Although Saito, Harvey Vale and Kwame Poku have provided strong competition for places, the experienced figure has rarely let the club down when called upon, and such a mentality will prove vital for Stephan if his side are to surpass pre-season expectations and achieve a first play-off finish at this level since their dramatic play-off final success over Derby County in May 2014.