QPR need a new No.1 - this ex-Nottingham Forest player fits the bill | OneFootball

QPR should have Angus Gunn on their goalkeeper shortlist this summer, following his release from Nottingham Forest

QPR's primary goal this summer is to add a quality goalkeeper to their ranks during the transfer window.

The Hoops showed plenty of promise going forward in Julien Stephan's first year in charge at Loftus Road, following a summer filled with exciting additions at the top end of the pitch.

The likes of Rumarn Burrell and Richard Kone showed plenty of promise and expectation to grow and kick on in a QPR shirt, Harvey Vale exploded into life during the latter stages of the campaign, and Nicolas Madsen had a breakout year in the engine room, too.

What let them down, though, was the rate at which they'd concede goals. Only Sheffield Wednesday conceded more than the Hoops, who shipped 73 across the 46-game campaign. Interestingly, a lot of that wasn't down to the backline, though.

Indeed, QPR were a top-10 team when it came to expected goals conceded, and placed 13th in shots on target faced, too, per Opta's stats, so Julien Stephan's side should have conceded a lot fewer than they did in reality, and a lot of that has to be down to the man between the sticks.

The R's juggled about in the goalkeeper department this past season, with Joe Walsh, Paul Nardi and veteran Ben Hamer all afforded league minutes. The latter two have been released at the end of their contracts, which will all but force the club to bring in someone new this summer.

QPR should look at bringing in Angus Gunn this summer

Action Images

Angus Gunn currently has enough distractions going on, as he's set to wear the number one shirt for Scotland in the World Cup this summer. But when he returns from the USA, he'll be on the lookout for a new club.

The 30-year-old was released from his Nottingham Forest contract this summer, one year on after making the move to the Premier League side from Norwich City.

He arrived to provide competition for Matz Sels as the Trees prepared for a campaign where they'd be competing in the UEFA Europa League alongside the numerous competitions in England, too. On paper, it seemed a good opportunity for Gunn to try to break back into a top-flight side.

In reality, it hasn't worked out. Gunn made just one appearance at the City Ground, off the bench in a draw with Crystal Palace after Selz went down with an injury. Unfortunately for him, new arrival Stefan Ortega would take the Belgian's place, rather than him.

So, with an attempt to get back to the Premier League not going as planned, a move back to the Championship could be on the cards, and QPR should be looking to put their name in the hat as they look to add a goalkeeper who they know is solid for the level.

Gunn has made 166 appearances in the second tier for both Norwich and Stoke City, keeping 47 clean sheets. Three seasons ago, he was in goal for a Canaries side who wound up finishing in the play-offs, which is ultimately where the Hoops have aspirations of heading under Julien Stephan.

Admittedly, he wouldn't be the most glamorous signing, and QPR may opt for someone younger whom they can develop, which has seemingly been their remit over the last 12 months.

But, after a campaign where they took a chance on Walsh emerging as their new number one from their academy, and it failed, they may be a little more cautious about taking on someone unproven this summer. With Gunn, they'll know exactly what they'll get.

Signing Angus Gunn will give QPR scope to invest elsewhere this summer

Action Images

The main pro that comes with signing someone like Gunn to fill the goalkeeper void this summer is that he'll cost QPR nothing, which would free up funds to help improve the outfield squad in preparation for what the higher-ups at Loftus Road hope will be a successful campaign.

Full-back upgrades and new midfielders are definitely also a requirement in West London this summer as the Hoops look to build a well-rounded squad to maintain quality throughout 46 games.

It was seen last season that injuries hampered QPR's ability to remain consistent throughout the year, so bringing in quality backups for fees would help improve that consistency.

Additionally, the Scottish number one will be hungry to make up for lost time at Nottingham Forest and show that he's still capable of being a top-level keeper after being overlooked at the City Ground.

If QPR could benefit from that, then they could be real dark horses for a place in the revamped play-offs next season.