Queens Park Rangers are placed 16th on the league table with 43 points after 35 outings, somewhere they wouldn’t really have wanted to be at this point of the campaign. A playoff spot isn’t in their wildest dreams and the London-based outfit could now only wish for a decent finish to the ongoing campaign of the Sky Bet Championship by pulling off decent performances in the business end of the season. A team with QPR’s status must be fighting to earn a ticket back to the Premier League and not hover aimlessly around the lower end of the table.
With nothing substantial to achieve this season, Ian Holloway should start doing his homework in order to make his troops hit the ground up and running next season and mount a serious challenge for the Championship title.
An exodus, as well as a few signings, is expected once the summer transfer window lifts its curtains, but one of the shrewd investments with very less outflow of cash which the Rs could possibly venture into is by acquiring the services of out-of-favour Everton striker Arouna Kone.
Kone was on the wish-list of Holloway in the January transfer window according to the reports, but his move to the Loftus Road never materialised. Yeni Mgbakoto and Matt Smith haven’t really fired this season and thus, the London-based outfit are in a dire need of signing a proven goal-scorer as QPR have collected merely 39 goals in 35 games so far.
At a time when they really need a veteran hitman, Kone certainly ticks a lot of boxes for a decent striker and if they make another move for the former Ivory Coast international, it would definitely make a lot of sense.
Kone’s contract with the Toffees is set to end this summer and it is unlikely that Ronald Koeman would hand him an extension, considering that he has been serially overlooked by the gaffer till now. Nonetheless, the 33-year-old still boasts of a lot of experience under his belt and would certainly beef QPR’s attacking arsenal and steer them away from their persistence with mediocrity.
Kone still has the requisite pace in his legs, has a very direct approach, runs at the defenders fearlessly and possesses an excellent eye for goals. Moreover, he passes the ball cleverly in the final third and is an admirable striker when he is on song.
He gets into tight areas and has the technical sharpness to move to the right zones at the right time. Should QPR manage to lay their hands on Kone, he would help them achieve a fluid style and will undoubtedly help them to evolve into a good side in the Championship.
