QPR player told to '100%' leave but 'not in a nasty way' | OneFootball

FLW's QPR fan pundit can't see a future for Muprhy Cooper at Loftus Road

QPR are preparing for a reshuffle in the goalkeeper position this summer, following a disappointing campaign in terms of goals conceded.

Only Sheffield Wednesday conceded more times in the 2025/26 term than Julien Stephan's side, with the Hoops shipping 73 across the year. Frustratingly, their expected goals conceded were just 57.4, which had them in the top half of the division.

Therefore, limiting chances wasn't so much the issue at Loftus Road this past season; those chances that they did concede were being punished much more often than they should have been, and the finger, therefore, gets pointed at the goalkeeper.

Julien Stephan shuffled his goalkeeper pack throughout the campaign, with Joe Walsh, Paul Nardi and Ben Hamer all given gametime in the league. The latter two are set to leave the club this summer, though, outlining the need to bring in a new goalkeeper who will likely usurp Walsh as the new number one.

However, there is also Murphy Cooper in the QPR ranks, who hasn't made a Hoops appearance in over four years, spending time on loan at Swindon Town, Stevenage, Barnsley and, more recently, Sheffield Wednesday in the time since.

QPR fan pundit hopes Murphy Cooper leaves Loftus Road permanently this summer

Cooper has plenty of experience in the lower tiers of the EFL and even kept 16 clean sheets in 37 League One games at Stevenage in the 2024/25 campaign.

However, just two in 21 for Barnsley in the first half of this past term and then none in the Championship in eight games for Sheffield Wednesday haven't persuaded many QPR fans that the 24-year-old is ready to be the new number one at Loftus Road.

West London Sport has reported that third-tier duo Plymouth Argyle and MK Dons are interested in bringing Cooper to their clubs this summer, and FLW's QPR fan pundit, Louis Moir, has urged the shot-stopper to make that move.

"Murphy Cooper 100% has to leave the club," he said. "Not in a nasty way at all, but he's a young keeper who needs to be making a career for himself now.

"He did well on loan initially and has shown that he is more than capable of playing in League One when he was at Stevenage and Barnsley, but it's always tough with goalkeepers. He's been at the club for a fair while now and has had chances. He's done alright, but is he a Championship-quality keeper? I don't think so.

"I think he needs to go and play in League One, leave the club permanently and make a career for himself, as he obviously does have talent."

With fellow 24-year-old Joe Walsh likely to be playing backup to a new signing at Loftus Road next season, Moir doesn't see the point of having two prospects in reserve, and doesn't think that being a third-choice keeper will help Cooper progress.

He also doesn't think that Cooper should come in and be the new number one, either, instead feeling QPR should bring in a more established Championship shot-stopper to ensure that they'll be better at keeping the ball out of the net next season.

That's not to say he doesn't think that the 24-year-old has the potential to make it into the Championship, but he believes that he's better off realising that away from Loftus Road.

"We're in need of a new keeper, and we'll get one, and Joe Walsh will be number two," he continued. "It's tough then, because you've got another young keeper who could be third choice.

"There's just no hope for Cooper to be anywhere near the first team at QPR, I'm afraid. He needs to go and play, and who's to say he doesn't end up back in the Championship? He might go to a team that then gets promoted and does really well there.

"I don't think it's harsh to say 'just get rid.' People may question whether we should give him a chance, but you can't mess around with goalkeepers, and we kind of did this season just gone. It needs to be addressed quickly.

"I'll wish good luck to the lad, and I hope he does well in League One. But he's nowhere near it in terms of cutting it at this level for us, unfortunately."

QPR's ambition, unfortunately, doesn't overlap with Murphy Cooper's progression

After a strong transfer window last summer, where the Hoops brought in plenty of attacking quality with potential to grow further, the onus this time round will be to do the same with the defence and in the midfield to create a more well-rounded squad.

With the play-offs expanding to six teams next season, QPR will see themselves as a side that could take advantage of the extra postseason spots and squeeze into the top eight if they get the upcoming transfer window right.

The main priority to fix will be that goalkeeper position, and even if Cooper has the potential to become a Championship-ready shot-stopper soon, it would be a risk for the Hoops to trust in him immediately from next season.

But on the flip side, endless loan spells won't help aid his development, either. The next move for the 24-year-old arguably needs to be a permanent one, and a switch to Plymouth or MK Dons, two sides with promotion aspirations into the Championship, could be the perfect move.

As Moir alluded to, Cooper could easily become a second-tier ready goalkeeper away from Loftus Road in the years to come, whether that be at Home Park, at Stadium MK or elsewhere.