QPR are now guaranteed to lose Bright Osayi-Samuel – if not this month then in the summer – and Mark Warburton will need to find his successor. But does he already have that man at his disposal?
Osayi-Samuel after a contested 12 months has sealed his move away. He’s signed a pre-contract deal with Fenerbahce and is set to leave for Turkey in the summer – QPR though are keen on a deal this month, with a £750,000 move rumoured.
What he brings to the side is unrivalled and Warburton will be wondering who might be able to provide that ‘spark’ that Osayi-Samuel often does. Waiting in the wings though is summer arrival Chris Willock – the 22-year-old left Benfica to join QPR on a permanent deal.
A former Arsenal youth, Willock has since impressed with Benfica B and did so on loan at Huddersfield Town in the second half of last season.
Warburton took his time to introduce Willock fully into his matchday plans, but he’s since racked up 16 Championship appearances with one assist to his name.
He enjoyed a good run in the starting line-up on the way to Christmas but has been an unused substitute in the past three outings.
READ: Bournemouth man’s ‘stunning’ wage demands revealed after West Ham move stalls
Speaking on Willock soon after his arrival in October, Warburton told West London Sport:
“I wasn’t sure how fit he would be, having not played for a while, but he’s shown up very well in training.
“He’s available for selection and he looks really good – the way he’s come in, been accepted by the squad and the quality he’s shown in training.
“That’s what I love about him. He can play left, right or in the number 10 role as well. He’s a very clever footballer.”
Willock though has proved a hit with the fans and many expect him to blossom into a really fine player under Warburton – as with Osayi-Samuel. The pair share a lot of similar traits and Osayi-Samuel – a year older – was in the same position as Willock when he joined in 2017.
Warburton has developed a reputation for developing these fine attacking players and that has been confirmed at QPR – the likes of Ebere Eze, Ilias Chair and Osayi-Samuel. Willock is in good hands at QPR and Warburton having taken his time with the likes of Osayi-Samuel, Chair and Ryan Manning too, will do so with Willock.
Once Osayi-Samuel leaves, there’ll be added pressure on the whole side. Willock will need to step up to the mark and take over the reigns going forward – he has the potential to do so, but expect him to fully prevail in this QPR side.
