Warburton keen to add experience to QPR’s squad in January

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Mark Warburton believes QPR need to add experience to their squad but admits the club’s options could be limited.

Rangers have prioritised the development of young players in recent years, but manager Warburton feels older players like Angel Rangel and Marc Pugh have been missed since being released.


And with his team struggling near the Championship relegation zone, Warburton would ideally like to bring in one or two seasoned players during next month’s transfer window.

“It has to be players that are better than what you’ve got,” he said.

“Maybe you might bring in an older one with experience around the dressing room, bearing in mind we’ve lost the likes of Angel Rangel and Marc Pugh, and Lee Wallace has been injured. They’re big names to lose.

“So the experienced side of it could be a big benefit for us.

“If it’s a young one, they’ve got to be better than what we currently have. We can’t just block the development path of our young players.”

However, the financial outlook is at best uncertain because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Empty stadiums means financial hardship for clubs and Warburton is unclear how this will affect Rangers’ chances of bringing players in.

He explained: “It’s a difficult market. We’re not sure what pond we’re really fishing in due to the financial situation. It’s hard for many clubs at the moment because there are no crowds.

“There’s no point moaning and bleating about the situation. That’s the world we’re currently living in.

“The vast majority of clubs in our division and below are facing the same financial hardship because of the Covid situation. There’s nothing coming through the door, plain and simple.

“No-one could ever have predicted what has happened in the last nine or 10 months and it’s really impacted on the game.

“It’s about a realisation of where we are and what we have to do. We have to find solutions.

“And hopefully they’re out there. There are some good players available. We’ve got to try to find the diamonds out there.

“All we can do is see what’s available in the market, how they might benefit our squad and add some value to it.”