As soon as Michael Beale was announced as Rangers manager fans started speculating whether he would look to bring in any of the QPR squad with him. None came in January but with Chris Willock’s contract up this summer, could he be heading to Ibrox?
Name – Chris Willock
Age – 25
Nationality – English
Position – LW
Club – QPR
A winger that is very similar to Ryan Kent but isn’t scared to shoot. He loves to carry the ball forward and take on defenders, his agility and balance makes it difficult for defenders when he’s running at them with speed.
Again, similar to Kent, he’s right footed so loves to cut inside, the main difference though is that Willock is just as comfortable going for goal on his own as he is creating for others. He’s scored as many goals for QPR this season from outside the box as he has from inside the box and something Rangers have lacked in recent times is players willing to have a go from outside of 18 yards.
Let’s look at his stats for his season;
- 26 Appearances (20 Starts)
- 6G/2A
- 204mins Per Goal Contribution
- 1.2 Key Passes Per Game
- 62% Dribble Success
- 42% Total Duels Won
QPR have massively under performed since Beale left but Willock has still put up impressive stats. He’s just returning from injury and will be keen to help his club try to remain in the Championship.
Pace, agility, balance, creativity, directness and a willingness to shoot are all attributes that he could provide Rangers from the left. Not only that, with his contract expiring this summer it could lessen the blow of Ryan Kent leaving on a free.
He’s a player capable of playing at a higher level than the English Championship. That much is clear in just his ball carrying and ability to find space for himself and others, he could be a brilliant addition to this Rangers team and fill the void that Ryan Kent will leave seamlessly.
He’s also two years Kent’s junior so still has to come into his prime. On a free transfer this seems like a no brainer and as someone the manager has previously worked with, if he believes he can make it at Ibrox then you’ve got to have faith in Beale’s decision.
What do you think of Chris Willock? Do you think he’s a capable replacement for Ryan Kent?
Absolutely. Ryan’s time is up. Add goals to his game, and he would have signed a new contract some time ago.
Willock is a no-brainer as a replacement. He would have put that Sakala chance away.