Steve Cook replacement? QPR should launch Sheffield United move | OneFootball

25-year-old Mark McGuinness could be heading for the Blades exit door this summer

Steve Cook’s exit from Queens Park Rangers was confirmed last month, ending a three‑year spell in which the 35‑year‑old centre‑back made 99 appearances for the West London club.

Now, the R's attention should be turning to a possible successor - a defender ten years younger who looks increasingly likely to leave his own Championship side in the summer.

QPR's need to rebuild their backline this summer has been well-documented, having finished this past season with the second-worst defensive record in the league.

Julien Stéphan’s side conceded 73 goals across 46 league games, which was only worsened by bottom-placed Sheffield Wednesday’s 89.

Please bear in mind this is a suggestive article, but FLW have taken a look at who Cook's replacement should be.

Queens Park Rangers must act on Sheffield United dilemma

According to a report from The Star, Sheffield United centre-back Mark McGuinness could be on his way out of Bramall Lane this summer.

The 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international was brought in from Luton Town on deadline day last September, but only made 21 Championship starts across 25/26 under Chris Wilder.

Wilder is understood to be planning a major rebuild in South Yorkshire, and McGuinness may well become a casualty of that process.

The Starthen added that Blades will not stand in the player's way if the right offer comes in, creating a window of opportunity that QPR would be wise to exploit.

For the R’s, Ronnie Edwards has settled in well since re-signing permanently in January for a reported £4.5m, and the former Southampton defender looks a nailed-on starter for next season. The question is, who partners him if Jimmy Dunne were to play right-back?

McGuinness, at 6ft 4in, is a commanding, aerially dominant centre-back with a lot of Championship pedigree.

He made 43 appearances in the second tier for Luton in 24/25, and while his campaign at Sheffield United was disrupted by the competition for places, he still accumulated an average FotMob rating of 6.88.

Perhaps crucially, QPR's head coach, Stéphan, has already been vocal about what he needs this summer. Speaking ahead of the final home game of the campaign, which was a 3-2 loss against Derby, the Frenchman said on transfers, "It's fantastic to develop young players, but in this league if you have only young players it doesn't work.

"You need to have some experience, you need some maturity," he added.

Arguably, McGuinness fits the ‘maturity’ bill very well, having also previously played over 100 - combined - games for the likes of Ipswich Town, Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday.

Mark McGuinness' Sheffield United wage could be too high for Queens Park Rangers

Over the last season, Cook - who Capology listed as QPR’s highest‑paid player - was earning an estimated £30k per week. The same site estimates McGuinness' wages at £25k per week.

Yes, Cook's figure is higher than McGuinness’, but with Cook now gone, the Republic of Ireland defender would effectively move to the very top end of QPR’s pay structure.

Whether that is sustainable depends on the direction the club takes this summer, but with Edwards' permanent signing from Southampton in mind, QPR have shown a willingness to invest.

In truth, McGuinness has already commanded a transfer fee greater than Edwards.

He left Cardiff City for Luton Town in August 2024 in a deal reported to rise to £10m including add-ons, only to find the Hatters relegated to League One at the end of that campaign. The Star claim his Blades move was between £4m to £5m.

So the centre-back's move to United was obviously intended to reignite his Championship career at a club with loftier ambitions, but a fresh start may serve him just as well as staying put if the aforementioned report is anything to go by.

It remains to be seen whether QPR would actually be interested in McGuinness, but he'd surely be a good Steve Cook replacement if the price is right.