'Nice fit' - ex-Aston Villa man urges West Brom star to join Championship rivals amid manager uncertainty
Lee Hendrie believes this West Brom star would be a good fit for Championship rivals QPR.
Former Aston Villa star and Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has backed one of West Brom’s key players to join a rival Championship club during the summer transfer window.
Albion missed out on a place in the Premier League play-offs this season after finishing ninth in the final standings. They ended up just four points shy of Bristol City in sixth, who will face Sheffield United in their upcoming semi-finals.
West Brom are expected to see a number of players leave the club this summer. Six alone are approaching the end of their contracts, with no current talks of them penning new deals before the deadline. On top of those, Hendrie believes Darnell Furlong would be a smart signing for opponents Queens Park Rangers once the transfer window opens for business.
Doubts surrounding the current team come amid the uncertainty looming over the vacant managerial position. A number of names have been linked with the role since Tony Mowbray’s departure, including Ryan Mason, who is currently an assistant coach at Tottenham Hotspur.
Darnell Furlong would be ‘nice fit’ for QPR
It has recently been reported that QPR have Furlong on their radar, with the aim to bring him back to his boyhood club, where everything started.
The right-back rose through the ranks at Loftus Road before making his senior debut in 2015. After four years at the club and three loan spells, Furlong went on to sign for West Brom in 2019. He has signed two further contract extensions since his arrival at The Hawthorns, with his most recent coming back in October 2024.
“I’ve always been impressed with him, he’s always one of them solid players that you know you can get a solid eight out of ten from in most games,” Hendrie told Football League World when asked about the future of Furlong. He puts on performances and gets himself forward, he gives them bags of experience, knows the football club well enough. I think he’d be a great signing for them, particularly with the younger players that they have. It would totally be a nice fit.”
QPR looking to re-sign Darnell Furlong
Influential defender and current Player of the Year Jimmy Dunne looks set to leave QPR this summer when his contract expires. With just two months remaining on his current terms, it is looking increasingly likely that the R’s will need to sign a solid replacement for Dunne in defence.
The 27-year-old has been a key player for QPR this season but the club will still probably be ruing not taking the chance to cash in on a sale when the opportunity presented itself. Sheffield United had tabled an offer for Dunne during the winter window but it was knocked back at the midway point of the season.
Darren Witcoop recently reported that Furlong is ‘on QPR’s list of targets’, along with soon-to-be out of contract Anfernee Dijksteel, who is currently at Middlesbrough.