QPR and Oxford United in transfer battle to sign 9-cap international | OneFootball

QPR and Oxford United are interested in signing New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh, who is available on a free after leaving Hansa Rostock.

Highlights

Queens Park Rangers and Oxford United are both keeping tabs on free agent Sarpreet Singh, although they will face competition from clubs across the globe for the midfielder.

The 25-year-old spent the previous campaign in the German second tier with Hansa Rostock, but the side were relegated, and Singh’s contract wasn’t renewed beyond the summer.

QPR and Oxford United monitoring Sarpreet Singh

Therefore, he is currently on the lookout for a club, and Football Insider has revealed that QPR and Oxford are both considering offering the player a deal.

However, they won’t get a free run at Singh, as the update also adds that there is interest from Germany and America as well.

But, one potential advantage that Oxford have over any rivals is that boss Des Buckingham knows Singh well, having been in charge of the midfielder when he was in charge of former club Wellington Phoenix, where Singh started out.

Sarpreet Singh’s career so far

It’s fair to say that Singh has had an eventful career so far, which started out with the player making a name for himself in the Australian A-League whilst with Wellington Phoenix.

Singh’s performances, combined with an impressive U20 World Cup for New Zealand, prompted Bayern Munich to sign him in 2019, and he would stay contracted to the German giants for the next four years.

He made eight appearances for the first-team in that period, with the bulk of his game time coming for the reserve side, or out on loan, with Singh enjoying time with Nurnberg before two seasons with Regensburg - all in the second tier.

A permanent switch to Rostock followed in 2023, but it was a disappointing year all round, as the side finished in the bottom two, with Singh only making 16 appearances.

Sarpreet Singh could be a low-risk transfer move

It’s fair to say that fans won’t be too excited by this potential addition, especially considering how Singh’s previous season played out.

But, on a free, the nine-cap New Zealand international would be a low-risk move that could work for a number of reasons.

Firstly, in Oxford’s case, he’s a player that Buckingham knows well, and Singh is also capable of playing in various midfield roles, which would make him a very useful option in a squad.

He is comfortable out wide on either flank, and his technical ability means he is also comfortable as a number ten, whilst he would also do a job as a deep-lying playmaker if in the right setup. So, you can understand why QPR and Oxford may see this is a gamble worth taking as they look to strengthen their respective squads.

QPR and Oxford United set for busy transfer window

QPR and Oxford.

With the R’s, it’s about adding to the squad to build on the brilliant work that Marti Cifuentes has done since his appointment, and he will no doubt have several priority positions in mind right now.

Meanwhile, Oxford are looking to create a group that can compete in the Championship, but they know, along with the R’s, that they don’t have the resources or budget of many rivals, so they need to be intelligent with how they go about doing their business.