To many QPR fans, Hugill has been a revelation to our season scoring 14 goals across 35 appearances for the R’s this season averaging a goal every two and a half games which is a good record for a striker who struggled massively whilst on loan at Middlesbrough last season. I will be outlining how I feel about Hugill and the potential crossroads we might face if we were to consider getting Hugill.
There is no denying that I am a massive advocate of Jordan Hugill and what he brings to the team. He is a focal point for the R’s attacks and possesses great strength and power to hold up the ball and bring others into play. And with our attacking full backs and our creative outlet he is the perfect fit into the style Warburton likes to play. However, with the fact that he is on loan this season from West Ham, there is no guarantee that he will be a Rangers player in the months to come.
Like I said earlier, there are potential crossroads. For starter, his wages are just far too much that it simply won’t be sustainable. Hugill is rumoured to earn in the region of £33,000- £35,000 a week and for starters QPR only pay a percentage of that fee which goes to show that Hugill will not be able to join QPR on his current wages that he is on at West Ham. However, it has been clear that Hugill is very much enjoying his loan spell with QPR, playing some of his best football under Warburton having scored two more goals than his best spell at Preston despite nine games left of the current campaign. So, would he take a pay cut?
If I’m being honest, I very much doubt it. I think he still has his eye on winning a first team spot for West Ham with the current problems they are having, and he must feel he will thrive under David Moyes. That seems to be the other problem as David Moyes was the West Ham manager who brought him to the London Stadium and must feel that Hugill has a point to prove in a West Ham shirt and may be ready to give him that opportunity whether that be in the Premier league or in the championship.
With all the transfer rumours circulating many QPR fans will be aware of the interest of Ebere Eze and the many clubs interested in him. One of those are rumoured to be West Ham and one rumour is a potential swap deal which involves Eze going to West Ham and in return we get Jordan Hugill and cash reported to be around £12 million. Some may argue differently but for me its not worth it. Like I said earlier Hugill’s wages are far too much for the club to sustain baring in mind most of QPR’s players earn below £15,000 a week. Also, QPR are asking for £20 million for Eze which means we are only allowed to use a small chunk of that money to reinvest in the squad as realistically most of that money will not be part of the transfer budget and some of that would have to be invested into Hugill’s wages when in theory we are better off buying some young players as well as some players who possess championship quality for a smaller price. And its evident to QPR fans this season how Mark Warburton has worked wonders with the youth we have at the club this season.
If the swap deal wasn’t to be the case, getting Hugill would cost us in the region of around 8-10 million pounds and if we aren’t able to get Nakhi Wells because of the cost and his wages, who is at a similar age to Hugill, with high wages and potentially no profit from selling him in the future, it seems more of a step backwards for the club rather than forwards.
As much as Hugill has been in some great form over the course of the season I don’t see us getting value for money from him by paying a lot of money for his wages when we can look at other options in the transfer window either on a free, a loan or on a permanent deal for a sustainable price and still be able to produce the goals that Jordan Hugill has for the R’s over the course of the season.