We're past the half way point in the January transfer window and it's been as quiet as expected at Loftus Road.

Queens Park Rangers are facing a transfer embargo this month as part of the punishment for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

This means that the chances of signing any new players are significantly reduced - although it's not entirely ruled out.

As for outgoings, the Hoops have offloaded just one player so far this month with Idrissa Sylla leaving the club to join Belgian side Zulte Waregem in a permanent move.

However there's a good chance that QPR's business won't stop there.

With that in mind, we take a look at what the remaining two weeks of the January transfer window could bring for Steve McClaren's side.


Receiving offers for QPR's star men

It's a worst case scenario for QPR, but a situation which could certainly arise.

While Amit Bhatia has said that he doesn't want to sell anyone during the January transfer window, the true situation at the club is that every player has his price.

This means that if QPR receive any offer that meets or exceeds their asking price - then the club would be tempted to sell as they look to cut their cloth accordingly with FFP in mind.

The club don't NEED to sell, but with current projections thought to be near to the restrictions of what is allowed by FFP regulations, the opportunity to sell a player for above market value could be of great benefit moving forward.

Rumours have suggested that Ebere Eze and Luke Freeman could be the two most likely players to attract offers, but as it stands, Football.London understands that no concrete offers have been made for either player.

If the club can keep it that way, they'll be very happy.

Ebere Eze of QPR is closed down by Birkir Bjarnason of Aston Villa (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Look for the bargain of the century

Signing a player this month is near-impossible, but not quite.

With Idrissa Sylla having already departed, QPR are able to bring in a replacement as long as it meets the specific requirements set out by the rules of the transfer embargo.

The odds of finding a player of the required quality are slim, but the club must keep their eyes peeled in case the right opportunity does materialise.

QPR are, however, able to sign players for the under-23 side as long as they don't feature for the senior side until next season.

This is perhaps the ideal opportunity to target players of this ilk with a more long-term strategy in place to improve the squad.


The offloading of some fringe stars

While the club will be hoping to retain their star men, a number of players appear to be surplus to requirements at Loftus Road.

Players such as Alex Baptiste, Mide Shodipo, Sean Goss and Matt Smith are all players who look to be hugely out of favour under Steve McClaren - and with little sign of breaking into his plans, they could be players who are dispensable this month.

While these players won't play a regular part in QPR's first team between now and the end of the season, the fact that the club are restricted in terms of bringing players in means that the club may be hesitant to lose these fringe stars this month due to the risk of being left short.

However if the opportunity arises to recoup a transfer fee for those out of favour players, then the club would be foolish not to take it.

Matt Smith looks on during QPR's match against West Bromwich Albion.

Monitoring contract situations and acting accordingly

As well as keeping a close eye on potential summer recruits, it's essential that QPR manage the situation around their out of contract stars.

Players such as Jake Bidwell, Grant Hall, Pawel Wszolek, Joel Lynch and Jordan Cousins are all out of contract in the summer - meaning that certain clubs are already able to open talks with these players over a summer move.

QPR have a tendency to act late in such contract negotiations - but they might need to learn from last year when they lost the likes of Jack Robinson, James Perch, Nedum Onuoha and Jamie Mackie on a free transfer.

As well as being aware of the market surrounding their players, QPR need to keep an open mind to potentially cashing in if a player is already deemed surplus to requirements - or if they're unlikely to sign.

If the club can recoup any sort of fee for a player who won't be at the club past the summer then it can only be seen as smart business, as losing such key players for absolutely nothing in the summer would be a huge blow.


Allowing young prospects to leave on loan

QPR's first team have performed above expectation, but it has come at a price.

Steve McClaren has named a consistent selection over the course of this season, but that has meant that certain young prospects have struggled for gametime at Championship level.

While Joe Lumley, Darnell Furlong, Ebere Eze and Bright Osayi-Samuel have played a decent amount of first team football, the concern is around players who are further down the pecking order.

Football at under-23 level serves a purpose, but it's simply not enough for players such as Niko Hamalainen, Osman Kakay, Charlie Owens, Ilias Chair, Paul Smyth and Aramide Oteh; all of whom have already shown that they have what it takes to become a first team regular at Loftus Road in the future.

First team football is crucial at this stage of their development, meaning that securing a loan move to League One, League Two or even a National League would be hugely beneficial to give them experience of regular football at a senior level.


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