Queens Park Rangers have agreed to an unexpected deal with Championship leaders Coventry City for one of their young players, as the west London club looks to address injury difficulties at the top of the pitch.

The Hoops have already strengthened their defensive ranks in the January transfer window by adding Ronnie Edwards from Southampton, and manager Julien Stephan has now focused on his team’s offense.

Julien Stephan’s team drew 0-0 with Stoke City on Saturday, leaving them just four points behind the Championship play-offs with 19 games remaining.

Stephan’s men travel to Oxford United on Tuesday, aiming to earn a win that may be crucial in their quest for a top-six berth by the end of the season – and they may have a new striker available for the occasion.

QPR agree to recruit Justin Obikwu from Coventry City.

Rumarn Burrell, QPR’s leading scorer, has been ruled out of Championship action until March due to an injury, while the veteran Michael Frey is also expected to leave the club before the end of the month.

As a result, Stephan has used the summer window to strengthen his striking ranks as his team competes with Preston North End and Stoke City for a play-off spot.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke via X, the R’s have agreed to sign Coventry forward Obikwu, who has been on loan with Lincoln City in the third tier of English football for the first half of the season.

The west London club’s move for the 21-year-old is surprising given that he has only scored three goals in 17 League One outings for the Imps, with the majority of those coming off the bench.

The teenager has not scored since the League One club’s 3-2 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on November 22, but he is set to join another Championship club, with Coventry looking to cash in on the academy graduate.

Justin Obikwu’s goal-scoring record is a possible problem for QPR

Obikwu is a Coventry academy product who has never made a senior appearance for the Sky Blues, instead spending time on loan with Grimsby Town and Lincoln.

It makes sense for the Midlands club to cash in on the 21-year-old’s skills, but QPR fans may be perplexed by the transaction.

The striker scored three goals in 16 League Two appearances for Grimsby while on loan from the Mariners in the second half of the 2023-24 season.

Obikwu then spent the whole 2024/25 season on loan at Blundell Park, scoring seven goals and providing one assist in 22 games across all competitions.

However, the Trinidad & Tobago international struggled to acclimate to League One this season and failed to pose a consistent danger for Lincoln.

since a result, QPR may struggle to get the best out of the forward at Championship level, since he has never established prolific form in either the third or fourth tiers.

Amid Burrell’s injury setback, the R’s require another goalscorer, since striker Richard Kone has only five goals in 25 second-tier appearances this season, despite being a dominant presence at the top of the pitch.

However, Obikwu’s performances with Grimsby and Lincoln do not indicate that he is the perfect man to lead QPR to the play-offs, particularly in Burrell’s absence.