QPR reaction given as Leicester City transfer targeted - "It's not underwhelming, but..." | OneFootball

The R's are interested in signing the youngster, as FLW exclusively revealed.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

QPR are making a move for Leicester City winger Silko Thomas.

The 21-year-old is a target for Julien Stephan's side and they are looking to complete a move for him before the transfer deadline on 1st September, as Football League World exclusively revealed.

QPR are open to either signing the City under-21 on a permanent basis or taking him on loan for the season, in an attempt to bolster an attack that has already had a lot of work done to it this summer.

Thomas, a former member of Chelsea's academy system, played in League One last season for Wigan Athletic. Two of the division's premier talents, Richard Kone and Kwame Poku, have landed at Loftus Road already this summer.

Potential of Silko Thomas, QPR deal highlighted

The 21-year-old's time with the Latics provided him with his first and only taste of the EFL. By no means is Thomas a proven entity, but, with Poku out until after the September international break, FLW's QPR fan pundit, Louis Moir, believes there could be space for Thomas in Stephan's squad.

"I must admit I've never really heard of him," Moir said. "You look at it just of pure numbers, you'd say it's an underwhelming bit of business potentially.

"But he's obviously still a very young player, still raw, still learning his trade in professional football, and there's probably a lot of room for improvement.

"From clips and videos, he obviously looks pacey, he looks a talent, [a] tricky winger, and obviously he was at Chelsea as an academy youth prospect. [The interest] sort of makes sense because, you know, the link with us and him. Obviously we signed Harvey Vale, another one who was built up to be a very good talent at Chelsea. Jake Clarke-Salter as well.

"There's that connection there, and obviously with Silko Thomas, if we do decide to sign him, there's that connection with him as well with the Chelsea theme.

"But I wouldn't say [it'd be] underwhelming. Realistically, no one probably knows much about him. Would he come in and start? No. He probably gives us another option on the left. With Poku out injured you're going to probably have [Karamoko] Dembele playing on the right and, well, maybe there could be there could be space for another left-winger to sort of try and get in the 11.

"It's probably the sort of signing that could be one where it doesn't sort of work straight away, but, because he's so young and raw, it might take time to develop, and it'd be interesting to see if we're definitely in for him, whether it would be a loan or permanent.

"You'd presume it would be a permanent, if possible, to try and like develop him over a year or two. But with the manager we've got in charge, with young players, attacking players, there's no reason why this fellow can't become a decent player at Championship level.

"So I wouldn't say [it'd be] underwhelming. There's a talent there with him, so I wouldn't rule it out and wouldn't rule him out of being not good enough straight away, because no one's seen him and he might click with us and develop quicker than people think."

A permanent move should be QPR's Silko Thomas priority

Signing Thomas, regardless of the conditions of the deal, comes with its risks for QPR. He isn't someone that could immediately slot into Poku's position in the starting XI, at least not from what he has shown so far in his men's career. If the club do see special potential with him, they have to push for a purchase rather than a loan.

If Thomas is an up-and-coming talent that could go on to bigger and better things, why would QPR help Leicester get the player closer to that point and not get the possibility of any financial rewards at the end of it? It just wouldn't make as much sense for them as buying him would.