Why Paul Osew could be a good long-term prospect for QPR
According to a report from The Telegraph, as relayed by The Yorkshire Post, QPR have been credited with an interest in young defender Paul Osew, who currently plies his trade with AFC Wimbledon in EFL League One.
The West London outfit have scouted the 19-year-old left-back at close quarters and they are weighing up a bid to bring him to the Kiyan Price Foundation Stadium when the transfer window reopens in January (Telegraph h/t Yorkshire Post).
Osew started his footballing education as a striker in the youth ranks of Brentford before moving on to join AFC Wimbledon’s academy back in 2015, where he was converted to a left-back by U18s manager Mark Robinson.
The teenager, who only signed his first professional contract with the Dons earlier in the year back in April, has burst on to the scene at Kingsmeadow this term.
Osew has already clocked up 13 appearances for Wimbledon across all competitions so far, scoring and assisting one apiece.
Wimbledon are currently languishing in the bottom half of the standings, just three points clear of the relegation zone but Paul Osew has given the fans something to cheer about with his impressive breakthrough in senior professional football.
As per whoscored, the 19-year-old has averaged 1.1 tackles, 1 interception, 1 clearance and 1 key pass per game in the League One this term.
A defensive record of 37 goals conceded in 20 games continues to be a genuine cause of concern for manager Mark Warburton, who will surely need to sort out QPR’s ongoing problems at the back during the January window.
QPR aren’t really crying out for a new left-back at the moment, with Ryan Manning working wonders for the West Londoners in his new-found role under Warburton.
However, with the Irishman out of contract in 2020 and attracting interest from Premier League clubs, Newcastle United and Southampton (football Insider h/t Daily Mail), the R’s might need to scour the market for a replacement.
Lee Wallace, who joined the club on a free transfer from Rangers this past summer, is seen more as a centre-back rather than a full-back by the manager.
To that end, though, Wallace is well past his prime at 32 and given that he hasn’t really played a lot of football in recent years, QPR swooping for Wimbledon’s breakout star, Paul Osew, would certainly hand a boost to their long-term plans moving forward under Warburton.
Verdict
The teenager is still a work in progress but QPR won’t need him to make an immediate impact in the Championship, given that Wallace would definitely be the first choice to step in at left-back in the event of Manning’s departure.
Hence, the 19-year-old can afford to bide his time and settle down gradually should a move to QPR materialize in January.
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Suffice to say, QPR completing a deal for Paul Osew could pay off handsomely for their long-term plans.
