How much money QPR are paying to sign FC Schalke forward revealed | OneFootball

Pape Meissa Ba is set to move to Loftus Road imminently

The six-figure sum Queens Park Rangers are parting with to secure the services of FC Schalke 04 forward, Pape Meissa Ba, has been revealed, with the 28-year-old's move to West London nearing ever closer.

Patrick Berger of Sky Deutschland has reported that the Hoops will pay the 2.Bundesliga side, who recently appointed former Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic, a fee in excess of £500,000 for the man who only moved to the Gelsenkirchen-based outfit in January.

Much like the aforementioned Muslic, Julien Stephan is still gearing towards his first season in charge of Rangers, having been appointed in late June, replacing the now-Leicester City boss, Marti Cifuentes, who was placed on gardening leave in the latter weeks of the previous Championship season.

So far, the former Stade Rennais boss has overseen three additions, as Kealey Adamson joined the well-documented and exciting duo of Kwame Poku and Amadou Mbengue through the door, with the latter duo gaining plenty of admirers for their performances in League One with Peterborough United and Reading respectively.

And, in a bid to bolster his attacking options ahead of the opening day encounter against Preston North End in W12 in two weeks' time, Stephan is closing in on finalising a deal for the aforementioned Ba.

Queens Park Rangers to pay FC Schalke 04 six-figure sum for Pape Meissa Ba

The side from the capital were first credited with interest just a few short days ago, with FussballTransfers initially revealing that Rangers were locked in discussions with Schalke over the possibility of recruiting Ba ahead of the upcoming campaign.

No fee had been mooted within the initial report, although it was stated at the time that 'the finish line is in sight' regarding the conclusion of the deal, meaning that earlier negotiations are likely to have taken place before the club's interest in the Senegalese forward was made concrete.

Ba made his move to the Veltins Arena in January after netting 10 goals and registering a further two assists in Ligue 2 for Grenoble in the first half of last season, and penned a three-and-a-half-year contract with the fallen German giants in the process.

However, just six months down the line, Schalke are set to bank a six-figure fee for the Dakar-born frontman, with Berger's aforementioned update stating that the initial fee is in the region of €500,000 (£434,555), but can be increased if bonuses - the description of which haven't yet been publicised - are met.

An agreement between the two second-tier outfits has been reached though, and the striker is set to sign a three-year contract with the West Londoners, with the deal reportedly close to concluding.

Julien Stephan will hope Pape Meissa Ba replicates French league form as QPR move looms

Whilst the pending acquisition of Ba has some form of risk attached to it, with the striker set for his maiden move into the English game at 28, the aforementioned fee could represent a low-risk, high-reward strategy if Ba is to replicate his form in France.

Rangers only netted 53 times in 46 games last term, with no player scoring more than Michael Frey's high tally of eight, showcasing exactly why further depth is needed in this department for the club to progress forward.

At 6"1, Ba could flourish in the Loftus Road environment, particularly if Poku is to translate his previous Peterborough form into the Championship, whilst also benefitting from the high-quality service which Ilias Chair can provide.