QPR urged against Celtic FC transfer battle - but 'frustrating situation' warning sent | OneFootball

FLW's QPR fan pundit doesn't think that his side stands much of a chance at securing Jon McCracken's signature if Celtic are in the running, too

QPR's main focus this summer, you'd expect, would be to sign a new goalkeeper.

The R's had a productive summer window ahead of the ongoing season when it came to bolstering the frontline, and through the likes of Rumarn Burrell, Richard Kone, and even Kwame Poku when fit, Julien Stephan's side looks set for the future at the top end of the pitch.

But with a defensive record that is only better than Sheffield Wednesday's and Leicester City's this season, it's evident that improvements need to be made defensively heading into next year to help boost them towards being outsiders for the expanded play-offs.

Defensively, QPR splashed £4.5 million on highly-rated centre-back Ronnie Edwards this past January, but that hasn't stopped the club leaking goals, due mainly to poor goalkeeping. The Hoops are a top-10 side in terms of expected goals conceded in the Championship this season, but have conceded over 13 more than expected.

So, a new goalkeeper is the priority, and rumours have linked Dundee FC's shot-stopper Jon McCracken to Loftus Road. Rumours that FLW's QPR fan pundit, Louis Moir, isn't expecting to materialise.

Fan pundit tells QPR to steer clear of Celtic-linked Jon McCracken

With the most saves in the SPL this season, Dundee's McCracken has plenty of suitors in both the EFL and in Scotland. Celtic have emerged as a side interested in the 25-year-old, with Aberdeen's former chief Keith Wyness backing the Bhoys to get the deal over the line.

So, in light of that, Moir doesn't believe that QPR stand much of a chance of bringing in McCracken anyway. But even if they did, the fan pundit has urged his side to perhaps stay away from the Scottish Premiership when looking for a new number one.

"I think if we're in the market for a player who Celtic are wanting to sign, and he already plays in Scotland, it would be tough for that player to choose QPR over Celtic," Moir admitted.

"But look, we're in desperate need of a new goalkeeper, and we will sign one in the summer, whether it's Jon McCracken or someone else. But I'm just wary of looking in the Scottish league for signings.

"I don't know what it is. I just think, off the basis of it, you can do so much better than look for potential transfers from there. There have been good players to come out of Scotland, but I just wouldn't be too keen.

"It's purely going off of doubts over whether certain players in the Scottish league are good enough to play in the Championship. That's not to say that this guy isn't a decent keeper, I've not really heard of him and, to be fair, he's probably better than what we have."

Indeed, QPR's goalkeeper situation this season has left a lot to be desired.

Julien Stephan has experimented with Paul Nardi, Joe Walsh and veteran Ben Hamer all throughout the current campaign and has had limited success. If the Hoops are to progress to the next level and become a play-off side, Moir acknowledges that they'll need to upgrade the keeper position.

"The goalkeeper situation at the club this season has been frustrating," he continued. "We've switched around three this season. More recently, Joe Walsh has been playing a lot, but all of them just aren't good enough.

"It's an area we need to improve in the summer, whether it's McCracken coming in or whether we look elsewhere for other targets; the goalkeeper spot needs to be the number one priority that we need to sort out this summer, that's for sure."

QPR could be a play-off side next season if they get this transfer window right

There's a lot of hype surrounding QPR next season.

With Poku and Ilias Chair missing the majority of the current campaign through injury, and Burrell being sidelined for three months after netting 10 in 27 in the first half of the season, there's even more excitement surrounding an already exciting frontline, even without the addition of new players.

That, plus a full season of Edwards at the back and Nicolas Madsen and Jonathan Varane in the middle together for another year, the Hoops are nearing being a finished product.

With the play-offs expanding to six teams next season, Julien Stephan's side, who are still 11th with four games remaining, despite injury and goalkeeper issues, should definitely be looking to capitalise and be in with a shout of a Premier League return next season.

Even if there wasn't an extra two play-off spots, the hope would have been for QPR to progress towards being a top-six side next year. But to do all of that, they need to sort out the goalkeeper position.

They cannot finish next season with a bottom three goals against record, especially if their underlying defensive numbers don't resemble that, as has been the case this year. Whether it's McCracken or otherwise, a new number one has to be the priority at Loftus Road this summer.