QPR want to sign 6ft 7 midfielder - it can accelerate Sam Field exit | OneFootball

QPR's pursuit of Kalidou Sidibe may see Sam Field's seemingly inevitable departure progress

QPR's 2025/26 campaign had its ups and downs, but the overarching feeling once things were all said and done was optimism ahead of next season.

The Hoops have shown ambition in the transfer window over the past year that they hadn't done in quite a while. Under former French top-flight manager Julien Stephan, the side brought in numerous young players who could have an impact now and make the club money in the future.

And while they may have finished in the bottom half of the second tier for the fourth consecutive season, there's hope that they can kick on further, improve in the transfer market once more, and perhaps break into the expanded play-offs this time next year.

The upgrades are needed the most in goal and in the defensive line, but that doesn't mean that Julien Stephan's side isn't looking elsewhere.

Recent reports from L'Equipe suggest that six-foot-seven midfield powerhouse Kalidou Sidibe is of interest at QPR, who are prepared to swoop in and bring him to Loftus Road when his contract runs out this summer.

QPR's pursuit of Kalidou Sidibe could see Sam Field's departure hastened

Sidibe has been a staple of Guingamp's midfield in the French second tier for three years now, and if QPR can get his signature over the line, he'd definitely help bolster an engine room already filled with quality, while also allowing some of the fringe players at Loftus Road a route out.

One player who is likely to benefit the most from that is Sam Field, whose five-and-a-half-year affiliation with QPR is expected to come to an end this summer.

The 28-year-old, who was one of the first names on the team sheet when fit for the last three seasons, had his minutes limited this season. He started the first three games of the campaign, but fell out of favour after the R's embarrassing 7-1 defeat at Coventry City in late August.

From then, Field was used primarily as a backup, slotting in at left back at times, until he was allowed to leave the club on loan in January, signing for Norwich until the end of the season.

The midfielder signed a new contract last summer, so the likelihood is that he'll be returning to Loftus Road with one or two years left on his deal, but it will also be likely that he'll be shipped out once more.

But what's also true is that he's a good squad player to have, and with Isaac Hayden departing Loftus Road at the end of his contract this summer, Field will definitely be told to stay put until the club can bring in a suitable replacement.

Sidibe would be that replacement, and it'll be intriguing to see if his arrival will bump either Nicolas Madsen or Jonathan Varane out of the starting eleven. Either way, there'll be little room in there for Field, and he'd be free to go, you'd imagine.

Sam Field won't be short of suitors in the Championship this summer

Ultimately, Field's departure from Loftus Road, as and when it does happen, isn't due to the 28-year-old not being good enough; rather, because the direction QPR seem to be undergoing with Julien Stephan doesn't involve him.

Field was still a good cover option for Norwich in the second half of the season, who ended up finishing six places and seven points ahead of his parent club, so if that's his perceived ceiling, he'd easily be able to slot into the middle of a mid-table side, if game time is what he's prioritising.

If it isn't, he could still be a good bench option for a side pushing for a place in the top eight next season, whether that's at QPR, Norwich or elsewhere.