Barnsley goal-threat should be among those on QPR's transfer shortlist right now | OneFootball

Football League World looks at three players who should be on QPR's shortlist for the January transfer window

Queens Park Rangers have not made a good start to the Championship season, and endured a five-game winless run prior to the October international break.

Despite the efforts of forward Michael Frey, who displayed good form in the early exchanges of the campaign with two league goals in August and one in September, the R's have largely lacked attacking threat so far this term.

In addition to this, Marti Cifuentes' men have also often been leaky in defence, as demonstrated by recent 2-0 away defeats at the hands of Blackburn Rovers and Derby County which came either side of a 3-1 loss on home turf to Hull City.

But due to the fact that Cifuentes inherited an R's side who sat 23rd in the Championship table following the sacking of Gareth Ainsworth almost 12 months ago, and kept the west London outfit in the second tier, the Loftus Road faithful won't be overly worried about the potential threat of relegation just yet.

However, with QPR's issues at both ends of the pitch in mind, Football League World looks at three players who should be on their shortlist for the January transfer window:

Adam Phillips

While Frey's early season form indicated that he is capable of producing the goods for the R's in an attacking sense, it appears evident that the 30-year-old could do with help from elsewhere in a side who have often struggled in the final third.

Barnsley midfielder Adam Phillips could be just the man for the job, as he has displayed prolific form in League One this season.

The central midfielder has long since boasted a notable attacking threat, and produced an admirable return of 11 goals and six assists in the third tier last term, as the South Yorkshire outfit landed a play-off spot.

Furthermore, Phillips could also bolster QPR's defensive efforts, as there is a tenacious side to his game, demonstrated by the fact that the 26-year-old won 155 duels in the third tier last season, as per FotMob.

Ben House

Another player currently plying his trade in League One, and could be ready to make the step-up to the Championship and help Cifuentes' side in the goals department is Lincoln City forward Ben House.

House has already managed to score goals against the Imps' fellow early-season promotion contenders, Peterborough United and Mansfield Town, as well as Barnsley, who finished in last season's top six, as previously mentioned.

Last term, the 25-year-old scored just two goals in 20 League One appearances, but his 2022/23 league return of 12 goals in 38 outings is more reflective of his ability in the final third.

While House could be reluctant to leave an Imps side who are vying for promotion to the Championship, perhaps he would find it hard to turn down a quicker route to the second tier, should the R's express an interest in his services come January.

Joris Kramer

While Phillips and House could be quality additions for the R's from the third tier of English football, perhaps Cifuentes and co should look elsewhere in order to solve their defensive issues.

Joris Kramer, who plies his trade for Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles, is currently performing well in the top tier of Dutch football, and won 42 duels and 26 aerial duels in eight appearances prior to the October international break, while also maintaining an impressive pass accuracy of 91.3% according to FotMob.

The 28-year-old could clearly be an asset for the R's both in and out of possession, while the Eredivisie has a proven track record of producing players who can perform at Championship level, such as former Fortuna Sittard attacker Zian Flemming, who scored 15 goals during his first campaign in the second tier of English football with Millwall two seasons ago.