QPR backed to seal "cracking signing" from Rangers | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers have been linked to Rangers centre-half Ben Davies, and FLW's QPR fan pundit is keen for his club to bring him to Loftus Road.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Despite an innovative summer in the transfer market, it's been an underwhelming start to the 2025-26 season for Queens Park Rangers, with just one point from their first two League games of the season and defeat away to Plymouth Argyle in the First Round of the EFL Cup.

But with more than a week still to run before the end of the summer transfer window, there's still time to make any further necessary tweaks to the first-team squad, and QPR could do with some defensive reinforcement as a result of the ongoing injury woes of Jake Clarke-Salter, who's been missing from the Rangers team since January with a hip injury.

Many of QPR's higher-profile summer signings have been attacking players such as Richard Kone and Kwame Poku, but there are further defensive changes that they could make, and one could include bringing in the experienced Rangers centre-half Ben Davies, who has recently been linked to the club.

According to journalist Pete O'Rourke, both QPR and Oxford are keen on signing Davies in the final two weeks of the window,

"We have to get a deal done" - Queens Park Rangers urged to move for Ben Davies

Football League World have spoken to our resident QPR fan pundit Lewis Moir about the possibility of Davies joining the Hoops, and he was extremely enthusiastic: "I'm really liking the sound of this signing anyway. Ben Davies is a player that I really rated when he was at Preston, just a proper Championship centre-half, but he's also really good on the ball and obviously had a couple of big moves in recent years. Very solid for Birmingham in League One last season as well, got quite a few appearances under his belt for them."

Lewis feels that such a player could benefit his club, not only in the specific sense of Clarke-Salter's injury, but also in terms of adding depth to Rangers' defence: "He's very good on that side as a left-footed centre-half, and with Jake Clarke-Salter out injured it's tough, because you don't know when he's going to be fully fit, and I think we do need a bit more balance at the back, and more experience. I think this signing would tick both of those boxes, but more importantly I think bringing in someone of his quality could bolster our defensive depth."

He also feels that Rangers' defence has already demonstrated this season that it could do with a little tightening up: "It's early days, but so far this season we've looked a bit leaky at the back, maybe easy to play against, and I think someone like that could come in and sort those issues. So fingers crossed that we can get a deal done for him because I think that would be a top signing. He's a good age as well, and must obviously have a couple of years left in the tank."

Lewis is aware that there will be other clubs also looking at him before the closure of this summer's transfer window, and is extremely keen for his club to explore Ben Davies as an option: "I think that a lot of Championship clubs wouldn't turn their noses up at Ben Davies, so that's a player we have to get a deal done for, if true. Obviously, that would add so much quality to our back line. He arguably starts for us in the situation we're currently in, so fingers crossed because he would be a cracking signing."

QPR defensive shortages could make Ben Davies an essential addition

It is certainly true to say that QPR's defence could do with a little attention. They haven't kept a clean sheet in their three games so far this season, and have conceded six goals in those games, including three away to Plymouth Argyle, a team a division below them. And Jake Clarke-Salter hasn't been their only defensive absentee. Captain Jimmy Dunne has also missed the start of the season, though he is expected to be back in action soon.

What all of this tells us is that football clubs need reinforcements and reserves. And in the Championship, which can add up to 49 matches for a team that gets to the play-off final, the packed nature of the schedule makes this all the more important. QPR have already counted the cost of having defenders missing this season, and Ben Davies could be an inspired choice to give Rangers a little more strength in depth as they seek to push towards the top of the table this season.