QPR boss should look to rescue Iceland star from Moyes misery
Published:
After emerging as the surprise package of Euro 2016 qualifying so far, it seems that everyone wants a piece of Iceland – with Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp most definitely among that number.
The Rs boss has, in particular, been heavily linked with a move for Ajax striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, after seeing the 24-year-old star for club and country in recent months.
But with the Eredivisie star putting pen to paper on a new contract with the Amsterdam giants, Redknapp could be better served by looking to another one-time Dutch top-flight hot shot currently enduring a difficult time in Spain.
Last summer Alfred Finnbogason had the world at his feet – he’d just come off the back of a prolific season in which he scored 29 goals in 32 league games for Heerenveen in Holland.
Eredivisie top scorer for the 2013-14 campaign, the 25-year-old was on a well-trodden path to greatness with strikers like Ruud van Nistelrooy, Romario, Ronaldo and most recently Wilfried Bony earning the goalscoring accolade.
Soon enough Real Sociedad came calling with a €7.5m offer for the striker that would rise to €10m based on appearances and Heerenveen duly accepted.
But Finnbogason’s dream move soon became a nightmare, with the striker failing to score in eight outings for the Basque club.
The situation was hardly helped when, early into his tenure at the club, Jagoba Arrasate – the manager who brought him to Sociedard – was sacked and duly replaced by David Moyes.
A shadow of the player who starred in Holland, the striker continues to impress for Iceland, scoring in a recent friendly outing against Belgium.
And with QPR on the lookout for goalscoring reinforcements, Redknapp could yet be in line for a bargain deal – provided he can convince Sociedad to send the striker to Loftus Road on loan.
The Rs boss has made no secret of his desire to recruit short-term cover and after seeing the success enjoyed by Eduardo Vargas – a forward who failed to fit in at Napoli but remained impressive for Chile at international level – a similar deal could work for Finnbogason.
Moyes, meanwhile, could be tempted to send the player out for what would be a confidence-boosting stint away from the club, while any deal could yet include a clause that would allow Rangers to buy the player outright, should it prove to be a palatable option for all concerned.
The move for Sigthorsson may be dead, but now could be the time to breathe new life in another Iceland star’s football career.
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