Under new manager Julien Stéphan, Queens Park Rangers will want to move up the Championship table, and they have now signed one of the EFL's top players.
Richard Kone, a striker, was acquired by QPR after searching League One. The 22-year-old left Wycombe Wanderers to join the West London team for an unknown sum.
Richard Kone is who?
One of the more intriguing career paths in recent memory is Kone's entry into the professional football league.
Born in Ivory Coast, the 22-year-old came to the UK while taking part in the Homeless World Club.
In 2019, the striker joined Athletic Newham, a non-league team, as his debut club. For the East London team, Kone became a prolific scorer, scoring over 40 goals in back-to-back seasons.
After a trial, the 22-year-old's goal-scoring prowess was eventually rewarded, as he was able to sign a contract with Wycombe Wanderers in 2024.
Kone demonstrated his abilities last season after adjusting to professional football in the second half of the 2023–24 campaign.
Numerous clubs have taken notice of him as a result of his performances for the Chairboys.
Kone is currently in the second division after concluding a move to Queens Park Rangers after the Buckinghamshire team's failure to earn promotion to the Championship the previous season.
What benefits might Richard Kone offer Queens Park Rangers?
The Championship team has added a goal scorer to their roster after making significant additions this summer.
Kone scored 18 goals in League One last season, averaging 0.59 goals per ninety minutes.
The West London team will profit from the 22-year-old's ability to put opposing goalkeepers to the test. With a 40% shooting accuracy rate, the striker averaged 3.23 shots and 1.31 shots on goal per ninety minutes in the third division.
The former Athletic Newham striker's ability to find effective attacking situations helps him score goals and challenge opponents.
Kone will routinely occupy enemy defenders this season after averaging 7.93 touches in opposition boxes per 90 minutes during the 2024–25 campaign.
His 6' height will also be a big advantage for Queens Park Rangers in aerial competitions.
According to fotmob's player attributes graphic, he won more aerial duels than 87% of League One players in a comparable position, averaging 4.34 per 90 minutes for the Chairboys.
With the ball at his feet, Kone can also outplay opponents. The 22-year-old will be able to defeat defenders in 1v1 matches because to his speed and strength, as evidenced by the fact that he won 7.38 duels on average every 90 minutes in the 2024–25 campaign.
Does Queens Park Rangers have a decent deal in Richard Kone? Over the past few years, Kone's career in the game has taken off.
The striker was competing in the ninth division of the English pyramid, the Essex Senior League, two and a half years ago.
Queens Park Rangers will greatly benefit from his quick development on the pitch, which is just one of the many reasons this is a huge deal for them.
The West London team averaged 1.2 goals per game and had a 10% shot conversion percentage the previous season. It's easy to understand why Rangers signed Kone after his performance the previous season.
When the striker left, his former boss, Mike Dodds, had nothing but respect for him:
"Working with Richard and having him in this team has been a true pleasure for me thus far in my tenure at the club."
"His incredible potential was immediately apparent, and we knew that he was a player that many other clubs would want to steal from us."
With players like Kwame Poku, Karamoko Dembélé, and Illias Chair in Julien Stéphan's team, there will probably be plenty of opportunities for goals.
To increase their goal-scoring output this season and complete the possible opportunities offered, hiring Kone is a smart business move.
Given Kone's quick ascent and his youthful age, it is obvious that Queens Park Rangers will benefit from this acquisition both now and in the future.
Read more at;https://www.allsportnews.co.uk
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