"Brilliant business" - QPR, Bristol City deal lauded after £2.5 million profit | OneFootball

Sinclair Armstrong has failed to kick on after leaving Loftus Road for Ashton Gate last summer

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…

QPR will likely be keeping an eye on Sinclair Armstrong's development at Bristol City after he left Loftus Road to head to Ashton Gate in the summer.

The Robins forward has shown some exciting signs in recent weeks but for all his power and pace up top, the Irishman has netted just three times across the Championship campaign so far this season and is yet to provide a single assist for a teammate from his 24 league outings.

That profligacy is something that R’s fans became wary of before the frontman left West London for the West Country, and they will likely have been rubbing their hands together when they received a reported £2.5 million for his services last summer.

While there have been claims that Armstrong could well be valued at even more right now, we asked Football League World’s QPR fan pundit Louis Moir how he looks back on the deal in hindsight, as a Championship rival earned the rights to his services.

Sinclair Armstrong verdict made after Bristol City reveal

While his goal contributions are similar to what they were while at Loftus Road, Armstrong is a player who has plenty of time to develop into a top Championship player in the years to come, as he approaches 100 league games in his career.

That raw talent is clear for all to see, and if a club can get the refine those skills they could have a clinical marksman on their hands in the future, which is what City will be planning to do during his time at Ashton Gate.

Those within the game obviously recognise this, with City technical director Brian Tinnion revealing that the Robins could have doubled their money after interest in the attacker in January, although they chose to continue their development of the striker.

Despite that, Moir believes getting rid of a wantaway player was the best deal for all involved with the football club at the time, and doesn’t look back on the deal with any regret.

When asked about the striker, the R’s fan said: “Selling Sinclair Armstrong for what the deal was supposedly worth was absolutely brilliant business. He wouldn’t sign a new deal so we had to get rid of him.

“Don’t get me wrong, he had his moments for us, he was such a fan favourite and one of those players that always came on the pitch and you always thought he would cause problems for the opposition with his pace and strength.

“But if you look at the bigger picture, is he going to be the man that is going to score double figures and help your team to fight for a play-off position? No he is not.

“You look at it now he has gone to Bristol City, he hasn’t scored many at all there, literally a handful of goals, if that. That has proven that it was the right thing to do to get rid of him.”

Bristol City could be rewarded with Sinclair Armstrong patience

Rangers were put in a tough situation regarding Armstrong last summer, with the young player seemingly determined for a fresh start after running down his deal with the club, before they triggered a one-year extension to his contract.

That move was done purely so they could command a fee from any interested parties, with the switch to Bristol City occurring just weeks later in the summer, with a seven-figure fee heading the Hoops’ way.

Having signed a four-year deal at Ashton Gate, there is every hope that Liam Manning and the Robins’ backroom staff can nurture a player that can be trusted in the final third on a regular basis, and live up to the price tag upon his head after his summer move.

With time on their side, City will be hoping their investment comes good, although Moir is unsure if the attacker will ever give a side in the second tier the firepower they need to make him a regular performer in the Championship.

He continued: “I suppose him being 21 there is potential there, but we saw it at QPR where he had chances where he didn’t look confident in front of goal, and he lacked a lot of composure.

“I suppose if he didn’t have his pace he probably wouldn’t be playing in the Championship really. I obviously wish him well, but Bristol City fans are probably thinking about QPR fans telling them that he wouldn’t be striker that wouldn’t score lots of goals.

“He has definitely not done that well, but Bristol City might give him a chance and give him next season, but if he still doesn’t improve his tally in terms of goals they might even look to get rid of him.

“So it is 100% top business from us in getting the money that we did for him.”