QPR may need players to leave in order to sign striker, Beale suggests

QPR boss Mick Beale expects to bring in a right-back soon but has indicated that players may need to leave before he can bring in a striker.

The club are ready to abandon their pursuit of Millwall’s Danny McNamara, with the Lions insisting they will not sell to QPR despite him being in the final year of his contract and having so far not agreed a new deal.

Attentions have now switched to Chelsea right-back Dujon Sterling.

Rangers also want to bring in at least one striker this month.

However, Beale has suggested that profit and sustainability rules mean a signing might not be possible without any outgoings.

“We will look to do something in the right-back position to add to Ozzy (Kakay), because he is the only one we’ve got,” Beale said.

“What people have to realise is that profit and sustainability rules are over our heads and what we would like to do and what we can do are two completely different things.

“What we mustn’t do is put this club in the situation it was in previously, so we have to become sustainable.

“I don’t want to dampen anyone’s expectations but they need to get behind the players they’ve got here now because they might be the players they are supporting all season.

“That is the knowledge I have of the situation and where QPR are at the moment, and whether you think that (P and S) is fair in football after Covid is something for others to comment on.

“It’s safe to say we will do one more, but we may have to do some outs to do another one (in), but it is not going to be what maybe everyone is expecting and they may have to get behind the forwards we have got in-house.

“Where the squad is right now financially, we are on budget, so unless something happens, it’s not there.”

Beale denied being frustrated by the situation and said the days of Championship clubs splashing the cash in the manner Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, Reading and Nottingham Forest have in recent years are gone.

“I know there is a push for more players, every manager wants that, the board, Les (Ferdinand) want that, and it’s not a case of not having targets, it’s a case of making sure we are inside the rules,” he said.

“We have seen what has happened to some other clubs and we mustn’t go there.

“If something moves for one or two of ours, whether it be on loan or a permanent, then obviously we will have something to play with.

“We are speaking to one or two players, so I am not saying no-one will come in, and I don’t want to dampen expectations, but I just want to put a reality around it and want everyone to get around the players we have.”

Beale has brought in four players in Jake Clarke-Salter, Kenneth Paal, Taylor Richards and Tyler Roberts to replace Moses Odubajo, Lee Wallace, Charlie Austin, Yoann Barbet and Dom Ball plus loanees Andre Gray, Jeff Hendrick and Dion Sanderson, but said those decisions have allowed him to keep the key players in the squad.

“We didn’t sell any of our key players this summer, they are all still here,” he said.

“What we did do is make the squad a bit thinner and a bit younger.

“As a club, if someone comes in from the Premier League then every club in the Championship has to listen, especially those who do not have the parachute payments.

“But we are under no pressure to sell any of our key players and the board have protected those players by letting one or two players contracts run out and moved on ones that were older.

“That they have managed to keep Dieng, Dickie, Dunne, Johansen, Sam Field, Ilias, Chris Willock is a huge bit of work from the board.

“By letting contracts run out they have allowed the club to remain financially stable and that is good management from the owners.

“It’s not for me to shout from the hills saying we are not doing anything – it’s me being realistic and honest about the situation. If we can, we will.”