QPR should join Millwall and Hull City in the race for Bournemouth’s Mark Travers.
Queens Park Rangers will be doing everything they can to ensure they are ready for the opening game of the EFL season against Watford, which is less than a month away.
Their preparations for the summer are well underway, with it expected to be a hectic summer of comings and goings for Gareth Ainsworth’s men.
The Rs started the 2022/23 season off very well, but it seemed to all come undone after Mick Beale’s departure.
Ainsworth managed to guide QPR to safety by the skin of their teeth, and now the aim will be to move up the table.
That might be easier said than done, as the club could face a transfer window where they lose several of their key players.
One player who is set to depart the Rs is goalkeeper Seny Dieng, and that means QPR need to go into the market for a new shot stopper.
Who should replace Seny Dieng at QPR? Middlesbrough are said to be closing in on the signing of Dieng, with The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath reporting that Boro have completed a deal with the Rs, and it is now a case of the 28-year-old agreeing personal terms and passing his medical.
The Senegalese has been the subject of transfer interest from Premier League and Championship teams for a while now.
So, this is a departure that was probably expected from the West London side, but even still, the club will now have to enter the transfer market to find a suitable replacement.
It is yet unknown what option QPR would like to go down, but given that he is expected to leave AFC Bournemouth this summer and is wanted by Championship clubs, Mark Travers could be a good option for the Rs.
Why should QPR join the race for Mark Travers? The 24-year-old is wanted by both Millwall and Hull City this summer, after it has been made clear that Bournemouth are willing to let the goalkeeper leave on loan this season.
Therefore, with the Cherries man allowed to depart in this transfer window, he seems a realistic target for QPR as well as Millwall and Hull.
Travers played an important role in Bournemouth’s successful promotion-winning campaign in the 2021/22 season. He then continued to be the club’s number one into last season, but lost his place after the 9-0 defeat to Liverpool.
So, it now seems he needs to rediscover his form, and a return to the Championship is probably the best way to do that.
Travers has proven himself in this league before as one of Bournemouth’s key performers in the 2021/22 season, so QPR would get a very capable goalkeeper who has the ability to be good enough to be a regular starter.
In that Championship campaign, Travers averaged 2.6 saves per game, according to WhoScored.com, with 0.2 coming in the six-yard box and 0.9 coming from outside the box. While Travers showed his quality as a goalkeeper inside the penalty box, averaging 1.5 saves per game.
While Travers has also shown he is a goalkeeper who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, which is a big plus in football nowadays and would again give him an edge when it comes to replacing Dieng. Last time Travers was in the Championship, he averaged 24.5 passes per game, with a 3.5 accuracy per long ball. While his short game wasn’t too bad either, with him averaging 13 successful passes per 90 minutes.
Travers is able to play well at a short game, but also when it is required, he can go long and be accurate with his passes. Something that may be beneficial, as Ainsworth likes to have a direct approach to his forwards at times.
Furthermore, this would be a loan deal, which would allow QPR to save money on buying a new goalkeeper and use the fee from Dieng to strengthen in other areas that Ainsworth requires.
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