QPR are preparing for a crucial summer transfer window as Julien Stephan seeks to bolster his side’s chances of competing for the play-offs following a mid-table finish in the Frenchman’s debut season at Loftus Road, and deals are already in the works, but Football League World can exclusively reveal that Bristol City may be set to hand the Hoops a blow in the market by joining them in the race for one specific target.

The West London club concluded Stephan’s first season in 15th place, having finished there the previous year under ex-manager Marti Cifuentes. QPR’s 2025/26 season was marked by inconsistency and defensive frailties, while having no shortage of attacking quality and occasionally seemed capable of marching up the table before finally failing to maintain such success.

There is hope, however, that Stephan’s second season with the club will bear fruit, especially if adequate support is provided in the upcoming window. QPR will likewise benefit from the extension of the play-off slots to six sides moving into the 2026/27 season, despite never seriously threatening to return to the Premier League since their relegation in 2015.

Stephan now has a number of positions to address in the market over the summer months, including tightening up at the back and ensuring the arrival of a new and reliable goalkeeper, both of which are real priorities in the Loftus Road boardroom given the volume of change between the sticks last season, which saw Ben Hamer, Paul Nardi, and Joe Walsh all receive runs of games without ever settling into their respective positions.

Rather unsurprisingly, a number of goalkeepers have already emerged on QPR’s radar following the end of the season, but one shot-stopper in particular is attracting increased interest, and the Hoops may be dealt a blow by a Championship rival in their efforts to complete a deal.

QPR faces Bristol City transfer threat in Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle race.

QPR will be hoping to bolster the goalkeeping department sooner rather than later, as both Hamer and Nardi prepare to leave West London at the end of their contracts this summer, leaving Stephan with only the aforementioned Walsh and returning loanee Murphy Cooper as senior shot-stoppers at the moment.

That is precisely why they are in the running to sign Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle, who, as first reported via Patreon by Alan Nixon of The Sun over the weekend, is being eyed by the Hoops in a deal that could cost as little as £2 million – widely regarded as a bargain price for a goalkeeper of the 24-year-old’s age and quality.

Indeed, Nixon’s report indicated that QPR were winning the fight for Tickle’s signing, but Football League World can now exclusively reveal that a possible twist in the story might play out.

FLW understands that Bristol City are poised to compete with QPR in their pursuit of Tickle away from the DW Stadium, with the Robins also looking for a new goalkeeper in the summer window following the return of impressive loan star Radek Vitek to parent club Manchester United.

It should be noted that sources have not suggested that QPR has lost any ground in the battle for this particular deal, despite the fact that they are facing new competition as a result of Michael Skubala’s appointment at Ashton Gate and may face additional complications as efforts to seal the move intensify.

Tickle, despite never playing in the Championship, has developed as one of the EFL’s most highly ranked goalkeepers in recent seasons.

The one-cap ex-England U21 international came into Wigan’s first-team in 2023/24 and has remained there ever since, making 158 appearances in all competitions, including a career-high 53 last season as the Latics finished 16th.

He has been a consistently impressive figure in the North West, attracting interest from Arsenal and Manchester United in 2024 before being linked with a move to Sheffield United in December of last year.

However, it appears increasingly probable that Tickle has completed his third and final season at Wigan, and with a transfer to the Championship clearly looms on the horizon, it will be intriguing to see where he next ends up – whether that’s to be QPR, or Bristol City, remains to be seen.