Michael Frey’s stint at QPR could come to an end this January, since the arrivals of Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell in the summer have drastically altered his role in the team.

The Swissman arrived in 2024 with plenty of goalscoring experience in Belgium, having finished second in the top flight’s goalscoring rankings in 2021/22.

After a disappointing season in Germany with Schalke at the conclusion of the previous year, as well as an injury-plagued start to the 2023/24 season, he arrived at Loftus Road midway through that season, eager to restart his career in the Championship.

Two years later, however, after failing to light up the division in his first full season and being left out of the starting lineup for the bulk of the current season, it appears that he is on his way back out to earn more first-team minutes.

Nobody could have predicted the impact a duo of League One strikers would have in the Championship this season, but they eventually teamed up to limit Frey’s game time and almost force him out at Loftus Road.

Michael Frey has been overwhelmed by the influence of Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell this season.

QPR needs fresh attackers for the new season. Zan Celar was loaned out to Fortuna Düsseldorf, and Charlie Kelman was released after being deemed surplus to requirements following his unexpected loan spell at Leyton Orient the previous season.

So the Hoops headed to League One and looked at some of the strikers that challenged Kelman for the league’s best striker last season.

Richard Kone stood out, having won the third tier’s Player and Young Player of the Year awards while with Wycombe Wanderers, as well as finishing ahead of Kelman in the Team of the Season. But a month before that, Rumarn Burrell arrived from Burton Albion.

Burrell was playing in the Scottish third tier during the 2023/24 season, so few expected him to establish himself as a regular starter. Many expected Kone and Frey to share the frontman post, with the 25-year-old making an impact off the bench.

Surprisingly, the Jamaican has been the outstanding striker at Loftus Road this season, with nine goals and three assists in the first half.

Kone trails him by five goals, but his unconventional approach to goals and assists has made him unstoppable. The two complement each other brilliantly, and they are one of the primary reasons Julien Stephan’s team has been one of the most enjoyable to watch this season.

Because of this, Frey, who signed a new contract with the club in September, has made only two starts this season. He was substituted on the hour mark in both a home draw with Oxford United and a home defeat to Millwall.

While Burrell exploited his limited time off the bench at the start of the season to improve his chances of starting, the 31-year-old hasn’t been able to do the same, and he’s been out of the lineup entirely in the last two games.

QPR’s striker depth has outgrown Michael Frey, and he needs to leave Loftus Road ASAP.

With Kone at 22 and Burrell at 25, Frey, 31, does not fit into the long-term plans for the striker position at Loftus Road. If all goes as planned, the new arrivals this summer will lead the line for another three to four years, as expected.

With Paul Smyth recently extending his stay, a wideman who can fill in at the top, and 20-year-old Rayan Kolli coming through the ranks, Frey’s position appears to be replaceable, and the Hoops may be wise to cash in.

According to West London Sport, “a number of clubs” are interested in the Swissman, so getting him off the books at Loftus Road should be a simple chore.

It will be a disappointing conclusion to his two-year time in West London, but many QPR fans will be looking forward to the bright future that awaits them with Burrell and Kone’s relationship.