Birmingham City deal looking a masterstroke by QPR: View | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers have finally found some decent form.

The Hoops have struggled in the Championship this season, but with 13 games remaining it looks as though they are improving their performances and producing better results.

Spanish boss, Marti Cifuentes took charge of the club in October after Gareth Ainsworth's disastrous start to the season, but he too struggled to find results with this QPR side. The Hoops have remained inside the drop zone for quite a while now, as they battle for second-tier survival.

The January transfer window came at the perfect time for QPR this season as Cifuentes was able to bring in his own signings and begin to build an identity at the club.

In order to make those signings, he was met with a big decision that allowed him to free up some on the wage bill. So far, this seems to be a very smart move from the club.

As well as focusing on fresh faces, QPR sent three first-team players out on loan in January, in order to free up some space in the squad. One of those players to depart Loftus Road was central midfielder Andre Dozzell. The 24-year-old was hardly a fringe player for the Hoops, having made 22 league starts this season in the Championship, so it was certainly a risk to let him leave for a fellow second-tier club in Birmingham City.

However, it now appears to be a clever move for all parties. On one hand, Birmingham are getting a left-footed central midfielder with plenty of Championship experience on loan, and on the other hand, QPR are freeing up space for Marti Cifuentes' first signings.

According to Capology, Dozzell earns an estimated salary of £11,154 per week, so the Hoops would have been relieved to get some of that weight off their shoulders and make room in the wage bill.

QPR's successful January window

As three players departed on loan, QPR brought in four new ones, as Cifuentes looked to build his own identity at the club. Isaac Hayden, Joe Hodge, Michael Frey and Lucas Andersen were the new men linking up with the QPR squad, with Frey and Andersen signing permanent deals.

All four have been heavily involved with the first team over the last couple of weeks, but the standout signing so far has been Lucas Andersen. The Danish attacking midfielder has started just one league game for the Hoops, coming on as a substitute on two occasions, but has already grabbed two assists. The first was for fellow new signing, Michael Frey, and the second came for star man Ilias Chair.

Not only did Andersen assist the game's only goal on Saturday away to Bristol City, but he also earned the Player of the Match award for his performance.

QPR have struggled for goals this season, and that has played a big part in their decline in the Championship, but with the addition of Lucas Andersen, Cifuentes has introduced a player who knows how to assist goals at vital moments, which could turn out to be a huge boost for their relegation scrap.

Arguably, the club would not have been able to sign Andersen if they had not loaned Dozzell out to Birmingham City and freed up space on the wage bill, so this now seems like an incredibly smart move.

QPR are just a point away from safety, and will be hopeful that performances from the likes of Lucas Andersen will be enough to avoid relegation.