Sheffield United to face tough QPR battle in Crystal Palace player race | OneFootball

The Blades are hoping to get a deal done for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, but the R's are thought to be pushing hard for him.

Highlights

Queens Park Rangers are firmly in the race to get a deal for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi over the line.

According to Alan Nixon, the R's are currently pushing hard to try and secure a loan deal for the 21-year-old, who isn't short of interest at this point.

Having impressed in League One with Charlton Athletic during the 2022/23 campaign, he was retained by the Eagles last term, but a severe hamstring injury meant he was only able to play a limited number of games last season.

This is a major shame for the promising wide player, who enjoyed such a good season at The Valley during the season before that and would have been keen to become a key first-teamer at Selhurst Park.

Michael Olise has secured a move to Bayern Munich and Malcolm Ebiowei has joined Oxford United on loan for the 2024/25 season, but Palace have taken the decision to loan Rak-Sakyi out instead of keeping him.

Palace boss Oliver Glansner will be hoping to see the wide man win plenty of game time out on loan, but his next destination is currently unclear, with plenty of teams ready to snap him up.

QPR set to battle Sheffield United for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

The winger is being chased by a number of Championship teams, with Hull City, Leeds United and Watford all being linked with a move for him in recent days.

However, Sheffield United and QPR may be leading the race at the moment, with Nixon revealing last night that the Blades have been trying to sort out a deal for the 21-year-old in recent days.

With United likely to be in the frame for promotion during the upcoming season, they could be in with a good chance of coming out on top in this race, with Rak-Sakyi likely to be keen to join a thriving club.

The R's could potentially win the race for him though, with Marti Cifuentes' side prepared to pay his wages and a loan fee to get a deal over the line.

This would meet Palace's demands and put QPR in contention to sign the winger, but whether they will come out on top in this race remains unclear.

A takeover saga could scupper the Blades' chances of signing him, so the R's may be confident of securing an agreement.

Rak-Sakyi needs to choose a destination where he is likely to get a decent amount of game time.

A move to a promotion-chasing team would be ideal for him, and it could allow him to win some silverware.

However, game time must come first because he needs to prioritise his development over everything else.

If he comes back to Selhurst Park next summer, he will be keen to force his way into Palace's first team, but he will only be able to do that if he enjoys a successful spell away from the Eagles.

Above all else, Rak-Sakyi will want to prove once more that he can be deadly in the final third, and regular starts should give him the opportunity to get into his rhythm.