QPR facing Charlton Athletic & Watford competition for Reading FC transfer.

Queens Park Rangers are reportedly interested in Reading defender Amadou Mbengue. As we approach the middle of the 2025 summer transfer season, the Reds are in a vulnerable position.

They are still looking for a replacement for their manager, Marti Cifuentes, who was placed on gardening leave in April. Most recently, former Stade Rennes and RC Strasbourg manager Julien Stephan has been linked with the vacant role at Loftus Road, but there has been no substantial evidence that an appointment is imminent.

QPR want Reading defender Mbengue

Even without a leader for the first squad next season, the club’s hierarchy is moving forward with their summer plans. According to West London Sport, QPR are interested in signing Mbengue, a 23-year-old defender. Reading has offered him a new contract, but he will be available as a free agent if the Rs choose to sign him. They will not be alone in pursuing the Senegalese defender. Charlton Athletic, Watford, and Championship rivals Preston North End are all reportedly interested in the 23-year-old, who appeared 109 times for the Royals over three seasons.

He played on the right side of a central defence combination for the Royals last season, making him a potential replacement for Jimmy Dunne, who is attracting a lot of attention this summer. Like Mbengue, the Irishman’s contract expires this summer. QPR are in negotiations with him about a new contract, despite interest from Sheffield United. According to The Star, the Blades made a £2 million offer for Dunne during the winter window, but the west London club chose to keep the defender despite the possibility of losing him for free this summer.

Amadou Mbengue makes perfect sense for QPR

Mbengue has Championship experience from his debut season with the Royals, when they were relegated due to a six-point deduction. He worked tirelessly to establish himself as a regular in the starting lineup under Ruben Selles and subsequently Noel Hunt, assisting Reading in nearly reaching the play-offs despite the financial constraints imposed by their previous ownership.

At 23, he’s a player QPR could continue to nurture and, like other previously discovered gems, might leave Loftus Road for a profit in the future if they outbid their rivals for his services. That will be easier said than done, since the other teams bidding for Mbengue are in far more stable circumstances than QPR.

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