QPR closing in on significant Southampton transfer - Saints set to make profit | OneFootball

Ronnie Edwards is set to return to Loftus Road

Queens Park Rangers have reportedly struck a major breakthrough in their pursuit of former Loftus Road loan ace, Ronnie Edwards, from Championship rivals Southampton.

According to West London Sport, the Hoops and Saints have agreed a £4.5 million deal for the highly-rated centre-back, who is set to return to W12 after previously intense transfer speculation.

It has been an extremely frustrating campaign for Edwards and the club he is set to depart, with Saints failing to mount a sustained promotion bid under Will Still and current boss, Tonda Eckert, who was handed the job on a permanent basis early last month on a contract which runs until the summer of 2027.

Despite being fancied for an immediate return to the Premier League at the start of the season, the South Coast side continued their hangover into the opening weeks of the current campaign.

And, whilst it looked as though the aforementioned Eckert had appeared to have turned the tide after an extremely impressive run of results and performances during an initial spell as interim boss and in the first two games of his permanent stint, the Reds have since reverted back to their old, frustrating ways.

Indeed, their most recent result was a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium - a result which leaves Southampton 15th in the Championship table, having taken just 33 points from their opening 26 league fixtures.

Edwards was, once again, omitted from the German's matchday squad in the North East, having also failed to make it onto Eckert's substitutes' bench for the previous four encounters, a run which kickstarted with the 1-1 draw against league leaders, Coventry City, on December 20th.

Rangers, of course, were one of the most active sides in the second tier when it came to conducting transfer business in what was Julien Stephan's first pre-season in West London after replacing Marti Cifuentes.

A handful of the Frenchman's summer recruits have since drawn praise for the way in which they have somewhat progressed the Hoops up the table, as they are now just three points and five places behind Watford, who currently occupy the final spot in the top six on goal difference.

And, whilst they have suffered a major blow through the revelation that top scorer, Rumarn Burrell, will be absent for some time with a fresh injury blow, supporters in W12 will hope that Edwards' imminent return can help shore up things from a defensive perspective.

Queens Park Rangers make major breakthrough in aims of Ronnie Edwards reunion from Southampton

As previously mentioned, Edwards became a firm favourite with Rangers supporters in the second half of last season, having struck a short-term agreement with the capital club to source regular minutes away from St. Mary's.

Indeed, the man who made his debut for the England Under-21s side last March was recruited by Southampton in Russell Martin's final transfer window in charge before his dismissal, with Saints capturing the former Peterborough United ace for a reported £3m on a three-year contract from the League One side.

Yet, despite being so highly-rated in the early years of his senior career, things clearly haven't gone to plan for Edwards in Hampshire under four different permanent managers/head coaches, as he made 22 appearances for QPR under the aforementioned Cifuentes last term, scoring twice, whilst also slotting into a deep-lying midfield role on one particular occasion.

The Harlow native then became the subject of unsuccessful interest from the Hoops in the summer, as he featured in Will Still's first competitive lineup at St. Mary's for the opening day success over Wrexham.

However, Edwards has since made just seven more starts for the newly-relegated side, with the last of those being Still's final game in charge, the 2-0 defeat to Preston North End on November 1.

He has gone on to play just seven minutes under Eckert, and after being named as an unused substitute against West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City in mid-December, has been omitted completely from the squad.

As such, West London Sport report that a £4.5 million deal has been agreed between the two parties, with Edwards keen on making the move happen - and it means that Saints will make a £1.5 million profit on their initial investment.

It is expected that a medical with Rangers will be conducted in the next 24 hours, ahead of their upcoming FA Cup clash with West Ham United at the London Stadium.

It has been an intriguing campaign thus far for the Londoners, who have scored plenty of goals, whilst also looking particularly shaky at the back.

The likes of Jimmy Dunne have continued to draw praise, though, and whilst it is a different manager that Edwards is working under, Stephan clearly wanted to pursue this deal in the summer, which will help the defender feel extremely valued after an uncertain period with Southampton.

It also helps that the former Barnet man knows many of the current playing squad at Loftus Road, meaning that less of an aclimatisation process will be needed. Again, this will only benefit the two parties, as Edwards aims to restore his confidence.