Leeds United, Newcastle United and Wolves are reportedly in a three-way tussle for the signing of QPR defender Rob Dickie in the ongoing transfer window.
According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds United and Wolves have entered the race for the transfer of 25-year-old Queens Park Rangers’ defender Rob Dickie, who is also a transfer target for Newcastle United.
Dickie came through the youth ranks at Reading FC and had loan stints away at Cheltenham Town and Lincoln City before he signed for Oxford United on a permanent deal in January 2018. The defender went on to spend two-and-a-half years with the club before QPR came calling for him last summer.
Upon arriving at Loftus Road, Dickie quickly established himself as a regular in the starting XI for QPR and went on to enjoy a solid debut season during which he featured 45 times, scoring three goals and setting one more. The 25-year-old has started the 2021/22 campaign with a bang, scoring three goals in three games in all competitions.
Dickie’s promising first year in the Championship has now led to significant interest in his services from clubs in the Premier League as per the report. Newcastle United have been on his trails since May, and understandably so, as manager Steve Bruce lines up defensive reinforcements to his roster.
The Magpies were porous at the back for a majority of the last season. Furthermore, with Jamaal Lascelles proving to be injury-prone and the rest of the backline around him not getting any younger, adding a fresh face would make sense. To that end, Dickie has emerged as a viable target, while they are also looking to loan one of Ethan Ampadu or Malang Sarr from Chelsea.
As for Leeds United, manager Marcelo Bielsa already has four centre-backs at his disposal in captain Liam Cooper, along with last summer signings Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and young Pascal Struijk. Of these, Koch hasn’t always been convincing enough while Struijk has often been asked to deputise in midfield as well.
So, bringing in another central defender would not be the worst idea for the Whites, especially after the mauling they received at the hands of Manchester United last weekend.
Wolves, meanwhile, also have plenty of options in defence in the form of captain Conor Coady, Willy Boly, Romain Saiss, Max Kilman as well as summer signing Yerson Mosquera, although the latter is currently injured while Saiss and Boly are thirty and above. Furthermore, Boly has had fitness issues in the recent past, so it would make sense for new boss Bruno Lage to shore up his defensive options.
To that end, Newcastle, Leeds and Wolves are all vying for the signing of Dickie, who is contracted with QPR till the summer of 2024. With around two weeks left for the transfer window to slam shut, a late battle between the three clubs could very well be on the cards.
