Report: Rangers and QPR to miss out on £1m man Wenger called ‘very gifted’

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Rangers, Derby County and QPR look set to miss out on a deal for Chris Willock after Huddersfield Town agreed a £1 million fee for the Benfica youngster, according to the Daily Mail.

Considering the toothless Terriers are already looking like relegation candidates under rookie coach Carlos Corberan, with top scorer Karlan Grant expected to depart before the October deadline, news of Willock’s impending return will come as a welcome relief.

The one-time Arsenal midfielder gave Huddersfield a much-needed attacking spark during an impressive loan spell at the Yorkshire club in the second half of 2019/20.

Those eye-catching displays caught the attention of Championship rivals Derby, QPR and Bournemouth, not to mention Steven Gerrard’s Scottish powerhouse.

But, while personal terms have yet to be rubber-stamped, Willock is expected to give Huddersfield’s survival hopes an almighty boost by securing a £1 million permanent move to the John Smith’s Stadium.

Corberan’s gain is most certainly Gerrard’s loss.

It’s no secret Rangers are in the market for a dynamic central midfielder capable of easing the goalscoring burden on the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Kent.

The fact Jamie Barjonas, who hasn’t featured for the Glasgow giants since 2017, was on the bench for Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Hibernian speaks volumes about the lack of midfield depth at Gerrard’s disposal.

The Gers have already missed out on Dejan Ljubicic, Bongani Zungu and Aliou Traore, while Preston are determined to keep hold of Daniel Johnson.

“Chris (Willock) is a very gifted player with natural strength and natural talent,” legendary manager Arsene Wenger once told Arsenal’s website.

“He has what you don’t find very easily. He can have a go at people, get past people in one on ones. We forget sometimes that the basis of team sport is to first be strong one against one – and Chris has that quality.”