Celar joins Basel – what went wrong for him at QPR?

Žan Celar has returned to Switzerland, joining FC Basel for an undisclosed fee and ending a disappointing time at QPR.

The 27-year-old Slovenia international striker leaves Loftus Road having failed to establish himself in west London following his arrival from Swiss club FC Lugano in the summer of 2024.

Celar scored just two goals – both in a win against Cardiff – in 24 appearances for the R’s.

Why did Celar flop at QPR?

Celar arrived in W12 with a seemingly impressive pedigree, having finished as the Swiss Super League’s top scorer during his time with Lugano. His clinical reputation inside the penalty box made him one of the club’s marquee summer signings, but that sharpness completely evaporated in the Championship.

The transition to the relentless physicality of the English second tier immediately exposed Celar’s limitations as a lone striker. While he excelled as a pure box predator in Switzerland, the then QPR head coach Martí Cifuentes required a dynamic focal point capable of holding up direct clearances, pressing aggressively from the front, and isolating central defenders.

Just as Celar appeared to be adapting to those demands, a severe hamstring injury sustained during the winter of his first season halted his momentum. In a league as unforgiving as the Championship, losing his physical edge at a crucial acclimatisation point proved devastating.

A high-profile penalty miss in a 1-1 draw against Stoke City epitomised his confidence crisis. Though Cifuentes publicly backed his striker—and Celar responded with a brace against Cardiff City  —he quickly slipped down the pecking order behind preferred attacking options.

A subsequent loan move to German 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf last season was designed to restore his confidence, but Celar failed to secure regular starting minutes.

With the forward clearly deemed surplus to requirements, a permanent move away from Rangers this summer was inevitable.