Queens Park Rangers

  1. Richard Kone celebrates with both arms aloft after scoring for Wycombe Wanderers

  3. QPR boss Stephan tight-lipped on Kone speculation

    Richard KoneGetty Images

    Richard Kone has scored 23 goals in 74 appearances for Wycombe

    Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan would not be drawn on transfer rumours linking his side with a move for Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Kone.

    The Frenchman was speaking after the Rs surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Plymouth Argyle in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

    The Hoops sold last season's League One top scorer Charlie Kelman to Charlton Athletic last month and have sent Alfie Lloyd on loan to Leyton Orient.

    Now reports have linked the club with 22-year-old Kone, who scored 21 goals for the Chairboys last season.

    But when asked by BBC Sport whether fans could expect to see the young Ivorian wearing QPR colours this season, the former Rennes boss said:

    "I want to speak about the QPR players and I can't do anything else so if you want to speak about [Rumarn] Burrell, [Rayan] Kolli and [Emmerson] Sutton, the striker, we can speak.

    "I can't speak because it's not QPR's player."

    First-half goals from Daniel Bennie and Kolli put the Rs 2-0 up at half-time at Home Park.

    But Brendan Wiredu's headed goal halved the deficit inside three minutes of the restart before an Owen Oseni double completed the turnaround for the hosts.

    Stephan gave full debuts to Jaiden Putman, Tylon Smith, Alex Wilkie and Jaylan Pearman, as well as introducing Kalen Brunson, Ashley Trujillo, Teddy Tarbotton and Cian Dillon off the bench for their first appearances for the club.

    "It was a good opportunity to show the young players, or the very young players, and to give them some experience," Stephan said.

    "And if we never put the young players on the pitch, it's not possible for them to have this experience. So, yeah, I think they learn a lot in this game. And they learn also that we need to be focused 100% every time."

  4. Owen Oseni celebrates scoring

  6. Stephan reacts to QPR's draw with Preston

    Stephan: 'Not perfect, but very good'

    QPR head coach Julien Stephan spoke to BBC Radio London after his opening game as boss ended in a 1-1 draw with Preston.

    "It was a very good first half performance from the players," Stephan said. "It was not perfect but it was very, very good.

    "Sometimes we did not have enough players in the box to finish a situation so we need to learn and improve on that.

    "The goal we conceded at the beginning of the second half had an impact on the players and it was a difficult 15-20 minutes after that but they tried.

    "I am a little bit disappointed with the result but not the performance."

  7. Alfie Lloyd

  8. Pick of the stats: Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End

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    The Julien Stephan era gets underway at Loftus Road on Saturday as Queens Park Rangers entertain Preston North End.

    The Frenchman was appointed in June as successor to Marti Cifuentes and his first challenge comes in the form of Paul Heckingbottom's Lilywhites, who stayed up on the final day of last season.

    • QPR have won each of their last four league games against Preston North End, as many victories as across their prior 17 meetings with the Lancashire side combined (D4 L9).

    • Preston North End have lost four of their last six away league games against QPR (W2) and will be looking to avoid losing three in succession for the first time since 2010.

    • QPR have lost their opening league match in each of the last three seasons – they've never done so in four in a row before.

    • Preston have failed to win their opening league game in each of the last six seasons (D2 L4), though their last victory on the opening day did come against QPR (1-0 in 2018-19).

    • Only Cardiff, Oxford and Plymouth (2 each) won fewer away games in the Championship last season than Preston (3), with the Lancashire side winless in their last seven on the road (D2 L5).

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  9. Marti Cifuentes (left), John Mousinho (centre) and Will Still (right)

  10. A side-by-side of Birmingham City's Chris Davies pointing and Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna applauding

  11. Ilias Chair in action for QPR

  12. (Left to right) Birmingham striker Jay Stansfield, Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer, Ipswich head coach Kieran McKenna and Coventry boss Frank Lampard.

  13. A line-up of 25/26 Championship football shirts; Bristol City's third kit, Blackburn Rovers' away kit, Norwich City's third kit and Oxford United's away kit

  14. Preston North End's Milutin Osmajic celebrates

  15. QPR players 'have a very good mindset' - Stephan

    QPR boss Julien Stephan praised his side's mindset following their 1-0 pre-season defeat by Premier League side Brentford.

    "It was a difficult game but I liked the way the players stayed all together until the last second," the Frenchman told BBC Radio London.

    The R's face Preston North End at Matrade Loftus Road in their Championship opener on Saturday.

    Listen to all the latest QPR content on BBC Sounds.

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  16. Wigan Athletic defender Morgan Fox, pictured in training for Queens Park Rangers

  17. Remembering QPR legend Mark Lazarus

    Remembering Mark Lazarus

    "He was just a man of the people. He would sit down with anyone, whether you were a chairman or a fan, and talk about that day in 1967 like it was yesterday.

    "If anyone gets a chance, look up 'Mark Lazarus wins the league cup' and it's every schoolboy's dream and God bless him, he made us dream."

    BBC Radio London is joined by Queens Park Rangers fan and podcaster Paul Finney to remember club legend Mark Lazarus after his passing at age 86.

    Listen to the full tribute on BBC Sounds.

    Listen on BBC Sounds

  18. QPR legend Lazarus dies aged 86

    A black and white picture of Mark Lazarus taking a shot.Getty Images

    Queens Park Rangers legend Mark Lazarus has died at the age of 86, the club said.

    The winger made 235 appearances over three stints with the Rs, scoring the winning goal against West Bromwich Albion in the 1967 League Cup final.

    He scored a total of 84 goals for the club.

  19. 'QPR's best performance of pre-season' - Stephan

    QPR head Julien Stephan said his side's performance against Heerenveen was their best game since the start of pre-season

    Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan said his side's 2-2 draw with Heerenveen was their best performance so far in pre-season.

    Kader Dembele and Daniel Bennie both scored in the match on Saturday.

    The R's will face Brentford in their final pre-season game on Saturday, 2 August at Loftus Road before beginning the Championship season against Preston North End the following weekend.

    Find all the latest QPR interviews on BBC Sounds.

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  20. Charlton Athletic striker Charlie Kelman, pictured whilst on loan at Leyton Orient in 2024-25

  21. Jamaica international striker Rumarn Burrell in action for Burton

  22. Christian Nourry

  24. QPR sign South African defender Smith

    Tylon Smith with his medal after South Africa won the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations. Getty Images

    QPR have signed South African centre-back Tylon Smith.

    The 20-year-old has been brought in from Stellenbosch FC for an undisclosed fee and will initially play for Rangers' development side.

    He was named player of the tournament at this year's Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which South Africa won.

    "I'm very happy to be here. I'm really proud and grateful for the opportunity QPR have given me to showcase my talent," Smith told the club website.