LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Corner flag with with Queens Park Rangers official club crest printed on prior to the Pre-Season Friendly Match between Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace at Loftus Road on July 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
QPR still in discussions with striker Martin
QPR remain in discussions with Chris Martin about a new contract for the veteran striker.
Martin, 34, officially left the club this weekend when his contract expired, but for now the door is open for a return.
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He is assessing his options and interest from other clubs before making a decision on his future
Martin moved to Loftus Road on a short-term deal in February, soon after he was released by Bristol City, and is now a free agent again.
He made 16 appearances for Rangers, scoring four goals – including a late winner at Burnley which helped prevent the club being relegated from the Championship
Middlesbrough player will surely consider exit as Boro press ahead for QPR deal: Opinion
Middlesbrough have launched a bid for Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng, according to Football Insider.
Hull City have also submitted an offer – but Michael Carrick’s side may fancy their chances of winning the race after generating a lot of money from the sales of Djed Spence and Marcus Tavernier last year.
They also enjoyed a better 2022/23 campaign than the Tigers, with Boro managing to transform themselves from relegation candidates to promotion chasers.
Although they lost out to Coventry City in the play-off semi-final in the end, they are in a good position to go on and seal promotion next term if they can adequately replace their loanees.
Dieng could potentially replace Zack Steffen – but not everyone at the Riverside will be a winner from this deal.
What’s the state of play in Middlesbrough’s goalkeeping department?
Not only has Steffen left, but also Joe Lumley and Luke Daniels who were released on the expiration of their contracts on Teesside.
Zach Hemming, meanwhile, has sealed a loan move to St Mirren and this could allow Boro’s other shot-stoppers to shine.
Liam Roberts may be Carrick’s first-choice stopper at this stage, although it would be difficult to see him retaining that status considering the Teesside outfit are likely to be keen to replace Steffen
The addition of a keeper could make all the difference in their quest for promotion, so you could understand why Carrick may want to strengthen in this area.
Sol Brynn is another keeper who could step up to the plate, having signed a new deal to extend his stay at the Riverside.
Should Sol Brynn push for a loan exit?
Brynn had reportedly attracted interest from the Premier League before putting pen to paper on fresh terms.
With this, he may be confident that he can force his way into Carrick’s first-team plans for the 2023/24 campaign but if Dieng or another stopper comes in, his game time will probably be limited.
Training with Boro’s first team will be valuable for the 22-year-old but if he wants to continue developing rapidly and have the best chance of fulfilling his potential, he needs to be playing regularly.
He will probably only be able to do this if he pushes for a loan exit, even though Carrick has been willing to put faith in younger players with Hayden Hackney emerging as a real star under the former Manchester United midfielder.
And he did well enough with Swindon Town last season to put himself in the shop window, so he should have no problem finding a loan club if he’s allowed to make another temporary exit.
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