Possibility of QPR star leaving disclosed despite interest from Leicester City and a failed approach from Birmingham City.
Chair has been the subject of interest from a couple of Championship clubs – but the R’s look set to retain him.
Darren Witcoop reports that Ilias Chair will stay with Queens Park Rangers after tonight’s deadline for the January transfer window.
The attacker and fellow game-changer Chris Willock are regarded as potentially important players for the West London team in their quest to stay in the Championship past the conclusion of current season. The Moroccan has been a significant player for the R’s in recent seasons.
It might be claimed that Chair’s early-season contributions under Mick Beale helped QPR stay up last season, despite the club’s terrible second half of the season. Chair shone under Beale throughout the 2022–23 campaign.
Presently occupying the 22nd spot in their division, Marti Cifuentes’ team will need to hold onto their finest players and possibly bring in more in the near future if they hope to survive in this group.
Chair has occasionally done well under Cifuentes throughout the latter’s stint in the English capital. In his last two league games, he has scored a goal and provided two assists, as well as two assists in a 2-0 victory away at Preston North End.
Despite having just three goals and five assists in his 27 league games this season, he nevertheless made a significant contribution in those two games, taking home four points out of six.
That was a mediocre campaign by the standards of the Morocco international, but he has demonstrated his quality throughout the 2023–2024 campaign.
Birmingham City’s bid for Ilias Chair
Although the amount of Birmingham City’s offer for Chair is unknown, Witcoop has revealed that Tony Mowbray’s team made a bid for the 26-year-old.
It could have surprised many a few years ago when Blues signed a player of that caliber on a permanent basis, but the club will have support in the transfer market in 2023–2024 thanks to the new ownership.
The R’s Andre Dozzell was also signed by the Blues, but they didn’t approve of a move for Chair as well.
Leicester City has long been a fan of Chair, the Moroccan, but it doesn’t appear that they will be able to complete a transfer for him either.
QPR have made the right decision to retain
Ilias Chair
Chair’s loss before the deadline would severely undermine QPR’s chances of surviving.
Given this, it might be more crucial to hold onto the 26-year-old than to buy a new player.
The R’s need game-changers on their team, and they will have a better chance of surviving if they can hold onto players like Chair and Willock.
Not to mention, the R’s aren’t under any pressure to sell Chair given his contract situation.
His contract has an option to be extended by one more year, and it doesn’t expire until 2025.
