Will he stay or leave QPR?

Ilias Chair was yet again a standout performer for Queens Park Rangers in what was a very disappointing 2022/23 season.

The 25-year-old grabbed five goals and provided nine assists in 42 appearances for the Rs last season, with his form earning him a place in Morocco’s 2022 World Cup squad.

The midfielder returned to the Championship club and played an important role in their successful fight against relegation to League One.

Chair is heading into a crucial summer, as it is expected that some of QPR’s better players may leave in this transfer window, and there is an expectation that the 25-year-old will be one of them.

Here, we have looked at the transfer news involving QPR’s Ilias Chair…

Are Leicester City interested in Ilias Chair?

Leicester City are expected to lose star man James Maddison this summer with Tottenham Hotspur keen on the England international.

So, that means the Foxes are looking at options to replace Maddison and according to a report from Football Insider back in May, the relegated side have identified Chair as a possible option.

It is believed that Chair fits the profile that Leicester are looking for, and furthermore, he would cost a ‘fraction’ of the price it will cost whoever buys Maddison.

Chair joined QPR in 2017 as a 19-year-old, and during his six years at the club, he has established himself as a firm regular in the QPR team and a top-end player at Championship level.

However, as Maddison has not departed the King Power as of yet, which could explain why there haven’t been any further developments regarding the club’s interest in Chair.

QPR fan pundit shares thoughts on Ilias Chair’s future

FLW’s QPR fan pundit Louis Moir believes Chair will inevitably move on this summer and doesn’t begrudge him if he moved to Leicester.

He said: “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about Ilias Chair leaving. There are a number of big players for us that could end up departing this summer.

“I think with him, the difference is that he’s tied down to a longer deal which will be beneficial for us because we’ll obviously get more money for him.

“I still don’t think we’ll get as much as fans think. I rate him, you’ve got to be looking at £10 million plus, and it’ll be surprising if we don’t get that. The rumours of him going to Leicester, I can see it, because the only career path I can see Chair going on when he leaves us is either Premier League club who has maybe just gone up, or abroad.

“It would probably suit him playing in France or somewhere like that, and obviously a team who have come down who are looking to go straight back up; that prime example is Leicester.

“You could see it happening, and to be quite honest, for his own career now – he isn’t really young anymore, he’s starting to hit his prime – he probably wants to leave QPR. I don’t blame him; he’s been brilliant for us. If he were to go, good luck and I wish him the best.

“He loves the club, he loves playing for us, but he probably thought last season was the opportunity to get promotion and years have gone by now, and it’s just not happening.

“We’re going backwards. He’ll probably want to move on himself, and a deal probably will happen. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Leicester come in with a bid soon.”

How much could Ilias Chair cost this summer?

EFL pundit Carlton Palmer recently spoke to Football League World about Chair’s situation and how much it could cost to get him out of QPR.

He said: “Chair has two years left on his current contract, so QPR will look for a sizeable fee for the Moroccan. It’s thought a fee of around £10 million would be accepted, this would give QPR much-needed funds to build a team to mount a challenge for promotion.”

This is double the amount Football Transfers has Chair’s xTV at, as they currently value him at €5.8 million (£5 million), although it has been higher in the past two years.