QPR listening to offers for Hamalainen

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QPR will listen to offers for Niko Hamalainen.

The Finland international, 24, made 23 appearances for Rangers last season.


He was given a four-year contract less than nine months ago.

But he is not in manager Mark Warburton’s plans and is available for a move.

The Florida-born Hamalainen was in Finland’s Euro 2020 squad but did not feature in the tournament.

And he is unlikely to feature for Rangers this season following the signing of Sam McCallum on loan from Norwich City.

Rangers are therefore ready to let him go.

He had made just one league start for the club when he was given a long-term deal last October.

It is currently thought that a move away from England is likely for Hamalainen, who has been with QPR since 2014.

Clubs in Scotland and his native United States, where he has had loan spells at Kilmarnock and Los Angeles FC respectively, are among those to have been made aware of his availability.

Three-man defence to stay

Warburton is set to continue playing with three central defenders.

The system worked well as Rangers enjoyed an excellent second half of last season.

He has therefore been keen to improve his wing-back options on both sides, with Todd Kane facing the axe after falling out of favour.

Kane, who has a year remaining on his contract, has been snubbed since Warburton became aware of an interview in which the former Chelsea trainee insisted he is a better player than Osman Kakay.

Moses Odubajo will replace Kane in the squad and compete with Kakay for a place on the right if he proves his fitness.

Odubajo, who played under Warburton at Brentford and is a free agent after being released by Sheffield Wednesday, has been training with the R’s.

He was involved in a recent behind-closed-doors game against Portsmouth and was due to play in a friendly at Gillingham on Friday. But the match has been cancelled because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the Kent club.

Odubajo has had injury problems in recent years but is seen as a potentially useful option, partly because he can also play on the left.

QPR want alternative friendly

Rangers were on Wednesday morning trying to arrange an alternative friendly for this weekend – without success.

Covid also recently forced the club to scrap plans for a pre-season trip to Ireland.

Arrangements were made for a training camp in Cork but were later abandoned.