Arsenal player signs: What QPR's perfect January transfer window looks like | OneFootball

With a relegation dogfight looming but January around the corner, FLW explores some potential signings that could be crucial for saving QPR's season.

Queens Park Rangers fans will be hailing the arrival of the January transfer window after a shaky start to the season.

Although Martí Cifuentes recruited heavily during his first summer transfer window in charge of the R's, results have been few and far between so far this season. Once again, the risk of a relegation dogfight in the season's twilight is a real possibility at Loftus Road.

Injuries to the likes of Jack Colback and Karamoko Dembélé have added to the club's plight, but many fans have taken aim at the club's on-pitch hierarchy to vent their frustrations on social media. Most notably, Andy Belk, the club's Head of Recruitment, has come under scrutiny.

January is therefore shaping up to be the month which makes or breaks QPR's season, but what would a perfect window look like for the R's? Football League World takes a look at three potential players who would go a long way in improving the club's fortunes as they head into the second half of the season.

Kyle Wootton

One of the most heavily criticised players so far at Loftus Road this season has been Zan Celar. The Slovenian international is struggling to live up to his estimated €2 million price tag and is still waiting to get off the mark for both goals and assists at the time of writing. QPR urgently need to bolster their firepower up front, and it would be wise for the club to look down - rather than up - when heading into the January window. That's why Kyle Wootton is a sensible choice for a new striker in Shepherd's Bush.

Wootton has been a key asset for Stockport County since their return to the Football League. After turning down a new contract at Notts County, he made the switch to Edgeley Park as the club prepared for life back in League Two. In his first season, he picked up both the Players' and Supporters' Player of the Year awards and followed it up with 12 goals and eight assists in all competitions last season as the Hatters won their second promotion in three seasons.

Wootton was rewarded with a new deal back in August and is already making good on committing his future to the club as they push for yet another promotion. It's therefore unlikely that he will come cheap to the R's but the 29-year-old has proven his worth over the last few years and is looking increasingly ready to make the jump up to the second division.

Josh Nichols

Club: Arsenal, Position: Defender

The hallmark of a strong transfer window is the ability to utilise the loan market and unearth hidden gems within the Premier League bigwigs. Signing Josh Nichols from Arsenal until the end of the season would be a prime example of QPR doing this, and such a deal would likely be beneficial for both London clubs.

Arsenal's website describes the 18-year-old Nichols as "a flying full back who can operate on the left or right". This would be a great option for the R's to call upon to provide an extra bit of young flare down the flanks, especially if Cifuentes persists with making use of wing-backs.

Having been with the Gunners since 2016, Nichols signed his first professional contract over the summer. He made a good impression during the club's pre-season tour of the USA and made his first-team debut in Arsenal's 5-1 thrashing of Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup in September. Whilst he is yet to feature in the Premier League, he has occasionally featured among the substitutes.

QPR securing Nichols' services for the rest of the season would allow him to experience more regular game-time in the early days of his professional career, something which would be vital for his development. It would also give the R's a promising young player moulded in the values of a world-class football club.

Dilan Markanday

Club: Blackburn Rovers (on loan at Chesterfield), Position: Winger

Recent R's teamsheets suggest there is an air of uncertainty over a preferred formation choice. Although recent results have seen them try 3-4-2-1, they have tended to start with 4-2-3-1 for a large chunk of the season. Therefore, if they wish to return to four at the back as they head into the second half of the season, signing Dilan Markanday could give them a young winger with Championship experience.

Markanday is currently on a season-long loan at League Two promotion hopefuls Chesterfield, but has been a valuable addition to the Spireites' squad so far. His performances in North Derbyshire mean parent club Blackburn Rovers could be tempted by the saying that everything is for sale if the price is right. The 23-year-old has been at Ewood Park since 2022 after coming through the ranks at Tottenham Hotspur.

However, he has so far struggled to break into the Rovers first team regularly. He failed to make an impact during his loan spell to Aberdeen in the second half of the 2022/23 season but his 2023/24 numbers for Rovers show he has potential, which he is demonstrating further at the Spireites. Luring Markanday back to his London roots, off the back of a highly impressive start to life at the SMH Group Stadium, could be key to Cifuentes' pursuit of a more consistent formation that yields consistent results.