Why Heinz Lindner could be a massive upgrade on QPR’s goalkeeping options

According to the Daily Mail, Queens Park Rangers are currently monitoring Austrian goalkeeper Heinz Lindler, with the report claiming that manager Mark Warburton has invited the shot-stopper to train at Loftus Road. 

The 29-year-old is currently a free agent following his release from Swiss giants Grasshoppers at the end of the previous campaign and QPR are exploring the possibility of registering him outside of the transfer window, subject to a successful trial. 

The 6ft. 3-inch Austrian international shot-stopper is expected to spend a week on trial at Loftus Road during which he will be assessed in detail by Mark Warburton, who is apparently keen to run the rule over the free agent. 

A youth product of Austrian heavyweights Rapid Wien, Heinz Lindner rose through the club’s youth system and went on to make over 200 first-team appearances for his boyhood club over the course of six seasons before completing a move to German Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt back in the summer fo 2015. 

The 29-year-old’s spell in the German top-flight proved to be a rather ill-fated one, though, with Lindner making only three first-team appearances for Frankfurt in all competitions over the course of two campaigns. 

Following his woeful stint at Frankfurt, the shot-stopper resurrected his career at Swiss club Grasshoppers and had a decent couple of seasons before departing upon the expiry of his contract. 

Meanwhile, QPR have made a promising start to their campaign in the Championship, with Mark Warburton’s side currently sitting 7th in the standings after registering 4 victories in their first seven league outings. 

Most recently, they edged a five-goal thriller against Luton Town to string together three consecutive victories in the league and Warburton will be hoping for his side to continue their winning streak when they make the trip to The Den to face Millwall this weekend. 

To put things into perspective, QPR are currently pretty well-stocked in their goalkeeping department, having brought in the likes of Dillon Barnes and Liam Kelly earlier in the summer transfer window, but someone like Heinz Lindner could be an upgrade on the club’s current options. 

Joe Lumley has started each of QPR’s first seven games in the Championship between the sticks but the towering stopper has failed to register even a single clean sheet thus far and Warburton’s interest in the 29-year-old Austrian certainly makes perfect sense. 

With a bagful of experience at the highest level, including the Europa League and the Champions League, Lindner not only has the quality but also the CV to back it up at Loftus Road, and at 29, he is still very much in his prime. 

A player of such stature could be a valuable asset to any promotion-chasing club in the Championship and Lindner’s arrival would definitely solve a nagging issue in a key area of the pitch for Warburton. 

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With that in mind, it should be an absolute no-brainer for QPR to offer Heinz Lindner a deal, provided he manages to prove his fitness in training and the financial terms suit the club.