Queens Park Rangers Sign Wycombe Wanderers Star

Queens Park Rangers will be looking to progress up the Championship table under new boss Julien Stéphan and have now secured one of the EFL’s hottest talents.

QPR have looked to League One and completed a deal for striker Richard Kone. The 22 year old has joined the West London club on an undisclosed fee from Wycombe Wanderers.

Who is Richard Kone? 

Kone’s path into professional football is one of the most interesting in recent history. The 22 year old was born in the Ivory Coast but arrived in the UK when participating in the Homeless World Club.

The striker’s first club was non-league side Athletic Newham who he joined in 2019. Kone became a prolific scorer for the East London side and scored 40 plus goals in consecutive seasons.

His goalscoring exploits were eventually rewarded and the 22 year old secured a move to Wycombe Wanderers in 2024 after a trial. After acclimatising to professional football in the second half of the 2023-24 season, Kone showed his ability last season.

His performances for the Chairboys has brought him on the radar of a number of clubs. Having failed to win promotion to the Championship with the Buckinghamshire side last season, Kone finds himself in the second tier having sealed a move to Queens Park Rangers.

What could Richard Kone bring to Queens Park Rangers? 

The Championship side have strengthened well this summer and have now brought a goalscorer into their side. Last season, Kone bagged 18 goals in League One at an average of 0.59 goals per 90 minutes.

An attribute of the 22 year old’s that the West London side will benefit from is the ability he has to test opposition goalkeepers. In the third tier, the striker had 3.23 shots and 1.31 shots on target on average per 90 minutes with a 40% shot accuracy.

The former Athletic Newham striker’s ability to score goals and test opponents is helped by his ability to get into good attacking positions. During the 2024-25 season, Kone had an average of 7.93 touches in opposition boxes per 90 minutes and will consistently occupy opposition defenders this coming season.

His 6ft stature will provide Queens Park Rangers with a significant benefit in aerial contests as well. For the Chairboys, he won an average of 4.34 aerial duels per 90 minutes, winning more aerial duels than 87% of players in a similar position in League One according to fotmob’s player traits graphic.

Kone has the ability to beat opponents with the ball at his feet as well. Using his pace and power, the 22 year old will be able to win 1v1 battles with defenders which is shown by the striker winning 7.38 duels on average per 90 minutes during the 2024-25 season.

Is Richard Kone a good signing for Queens Park Rangers? 

Kone has seen his career within the game explode in the last few years. Two-and-a-half years ago, the striker was playing in the Essex Senior League in the ninth tier of the English pyramid.

His rapid progression on the pitch will be a significant benefit for Queens Park Rangers and one of the many reasons why this is a great deal for them. Last season, the West London side scored an average of 1.2 goals and had a shot conversion rate of 10%.

Given this showing last season, it is clear to see why Rangers secured Kone’s signature. His previous manager, Mike Dodds, had high praise for the striker upon his departure:

“It has been a real pleasure to work with Richard and have him as part of this squad during my time at the club so far”

“It was clear from the start that he had fantastic potential and we were fully aware that he was a player that many other clubs would want to prise away from us”

With the likes of Kwame Poku, Karamoko Dembélé and Illias Chair within Julien Stéphan’s squad it is likely that numerous goalscoring chances will be created. Securing the services of Kone is a great piece of business to improve their goalscoring output this season and finish the potential chances created.

Given the rapid rise that Kone has had and the young age at which he has done it, it is clear that this signing is a good one for Queens Park Rangers both this season and beyond.