Southampton, QPR and Sheffield United plot move for Rangers striker | OneFootball

Southampton and Queens Park Rangers are interested in signing former Leeds United striker Kemar Roofe.

The 31-year-old is currently playing for Scottish giants Rangers, and is out of contract in the summer, so will be available on a free transfer.

According to Football Insider, Southampton and QPR are “plotting moves” for the Jamaican forward, along with Premier League sides Fulham and Sheffield United.

They claim that no new deal has been agreed for Roofe to extend his stay at Ibrox, and that news of his potential availability on a free transfer has alerted clubs in England who would like to improve their attack for next season.

Kemar Roofe’s career to date

Starting his career at West Bromwich Albion, he would go out on various loan moves in his younger years, including loans to teams like Northampton Town, Cheltenham Town and Colchester United.

His final loan move away from The Hawthorns was to Oxford United, where he would impress, scoring six goals in 16 appearances. Oxford then made the deal permanent in the summer of 2015 for an undisclosed fee.

At Oxford he would star, contributing to 25 goals in 40 games in League Two as Oxford were promoted to League One, finishing in second place. His performances were recognised as he won the League Two Player of the Year award.

His brilliant season at Oxford led to a move to Leeds, joining for a seven-figure undisclosed fee. In three seasons at Elland Road, he would score 32 goals in 122 games.

A £7 million move to Anderlecht followed in the summer of 2019, where he scored seven goals in 16 games. After a season in Belgium, he moved to his current club Rangers, joining for a reported £4.5 million.

His first two seasons in Scotland were exceptional, scoring 18 goals in his first season and 16 in his second. His third season, the 22/23 campaign, saw Roofe struggle in an injury-hit campaign, which limited him to six appearances.

Now back and fully fit, he has been limited to just five league starts in this current campaign, with Cyriel Dessers becoming their first-choice striker.

What would Roofe bring to Southampton and Queens Park Rangers?

There is no doubt that Roofe is still a quality player, who has just been massively unlucky with injuries.

However, he is still a proven striker at Championship level, and was a clinical finisher in the Championship for Leeds in his three years there.

In terms of the specific clubs, Southampton may see Roofe as a potential replacement for Che Adams, who has been linked with a move away from the club, with the Scotland international out of contract in the summer at St Mary’s.

Meanwhile, for QPR, the R’s have struggled to score goals this term, with their three main striking options - Lyndon Dykes, Sinclair Armstrong and Michael Frey - only scoring eight goals between them so far this season.

It will be interesting to see where Roofe ends up, although a move to Fulham, in the Premier League, may look like a more attractive proposition.