Patrick Agyemang is hoping for a chance to prove himself at QPR in the new season, although manager Neil Warnock insists new strikers remain his priority.
Agyemang, 29, began his QPR career in incredible style, posting career best figures of eight goals in his first six appearances. Since then though he has regressed back to the level that saw him fail to reach double figures in a season once in the eight years prior to arriving at Loftus Road. Last season he started just nine games for the R’s, scoring three times, and made seven appearances without scoring during an injury hit and unhappy spell on loan at Bristol City.
Today he told the Kilburn Times: “It feels like a fresh start and I'm going back there to fight for a place. I'm excited about going back, seeing the lads I haven't seen for a while and meeting the new players. Everyone had a meeting with the manager at the end of last season, just before we went on holiday. He said he liked the look of me and told me 'just make sure you're ready'. I know he likes his strikers and he made it clear he was going to bring more in, which is good for the club because we needed to freshen up the squad. I'm aiming to get a good pre-season, hopefully with no injuries and I want to make this a positive year."
Warnock confirmed his desire to strengthen the attack at Loftus Road on the club’s official website prior to the return to pre-season training on 999. He said: “There's plenty of players we're interested in. I'm confident we can get deals done, but not necessarily this week. It's been hard work this summer, but now we're looking to put the icing on the cake. I still want two or three forwards - that's the area I'm specifically targeting now. We need that extra fire-power in the final third if we're going to compete."
Part of that icing was rumoured to be Reading winger Jobi McAnuff, linked with a £1.5m move to Loftus Road earlier this week. However Reading manager Brian McDermott said today: “"I don’t know anything about that – it’s not true. We will take every transfer on its own merit, but there has been no interest at all.”
Clint Hill is widely expected to be confirmed as a QPR signing shortly, with his contract at Crystal Palace expiring today. Whether his Selhurst Park team mate Darren Ambrose, who has one year left to run on his Palace contract but agreed a deal to sign for Rangers earlier in June before the Eagles were taken over, joins him remains to be seen.
New Palace boss George Burley told the South London Press: “Clint has told me he has agreed a deal with another club. I know Darren well - I brought him through as a kid at Ipswich. These days there is so much speculation and you can get your head turned with the promise of x, y or z. But I want both of them to stay and they are both under contract - that’s in our favour.”
Meanwhile QPR’s match at Bristol City has been brought forward a day and will now be played on Friday, October 22, and screened live by Sky Sports. It’s QPR’s only televised fixture with either Sky or the BBC in the first few months of the season. Norwich’s home game with Watford opens Sky’s coverage of the Championship this season on Friday, August 6.
In former QPR news striker Richard Pacquette’s club count continues to rise following a move from York City to Eastbourne Borough in the Blue Square National. Scott Donnelly has been enthusing about playing for Paulo Sousa after completing his move from Aldershot to Swansea City. Donnelly said: “When I heard Swansea and Paulo Sousa were interested I was desperate to get something done. It was really flattering because he has a massive reputation. I have to prove myself under him. Paulo Sousa was a top player and I can't wait to start learning from him. I remember speaking to my agent about the manager and we were going through the clubs he played for — Inter Milan, Juventus, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund. If you don't want to play under someone like that then there's something wrong with you. I'm sure he'll get the best out of me — he'll turn me into a player I never expected to be.”
Elsewhere in the Championship Sousa has actually been linked with the vacant managerial post at Leicester following Nigel Pearson’s switch to Hull City. Lack of a sufficient transfer budget at the Walkers Stadium is believed to be the primary reason behind Pearson’s decision, although whether he will have much more to spend at heavily indebted Hull City is doubtful. The Tigers are trying to offload Jimmy Bullard’s £40k a week salary and Celtic have approached them with a view to a season long loan deal. Another club with cash problems, Cardiff City, have confirmed that their players are yet to receive their wages for June. Out of contract Joe Ledley is discussing a potential move to the Premiership with Stoke City. Wales international Neil Taylor has signed for Swansea City but will not be retaining Lee Trundle who has been released by Bristol City after spending the majority of last season on loan at the Liberty Stadium.