QPR and Sheffield Wednesday 'submit bid' for striker as Sunderland transfer given 'here we go'


Queens Park Rangers and their Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday have both submitted a bid for Brisbane Roar striker Thomas Waddingham, according to reports.
The 19-year-old is under contract at the A League club until the summer of 2026. He has scored 15 goals in 40 games for the Roar, while providing two assists. The player is highly regarded in Australia and has been eyed by a number of European clubs.
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Hide AdAccording to Football Insider, QPR and the Owls have looked to steal a march on other interested clubs by lodging an offer for the player. After a tough start to the season, the R’s are finding some form and beat Luton Town 2-1 on Monday night to go 13th in the table - the defeat appears to be the final game in the dugout for Hatters boss Rob Edwards with reports he has agreed to leave the club by mutual consent.
Michael Frey is QPR’s top scorer in the Championship with five goals while Jimmy Dunne has found the net four times this term. Sam Field and Rayan Kolli have three goals each. The Loftus Road club are nine points above the bottom three but have scored just 29 goals in their 26 games so far. A new striker to bolster their attacking options is something that could further ease any relegation concerns.
Brisbane boss addresses transfer speculation
Asked about Waddingham’s future last week, Brisbane Roar head coach Ruben Zadkovich said: “There’s a lot going on with Tommy. There has been for a while now, and rightfully so because like I’ve kind of preached, he’s a fantastic talent and leading the line for an a league team at 19 years old. No mean feat. It’s not an easy task. There’s been some some new contact to the club from some pretty big football clubs, but those talks are still in the initial phases, so we’ll have to just have to wait and see.”
The forward has also been linked with Middlesbrough, as Zadkovich added: “I can tell you that Tommy isn’t going anywhere for free. Tommy is either a Brisbane Roar player and a big part of the future of this club, or he’s moving on to a bigger opportunity for himself and a good business deal for our club.”
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Hide AdSunderland ‘agree’ deal
In other news, QPR and Millwall’s Championship rivals Sunderland have agreed a deal to sign Enzo Le Fee from AS Roma, according to Fabrizio Romano. The move is a loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent if the Stadium of Light club are promoted. The 24-year-old began his career with Lorient as he progressed through the club’s youth ranks before making his debut in 2019. He joined Rennes in 2023 but spent just one year at the club. He worked with Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris at Lorient.
He made the switch to Roma in July after a €23 million fee was agreed. He penned a five-year deal at the Serie A club and the fee if he joins Sunderland permanently is also said to be in the region of €23 million as Roma look to recoup what they shelled out for him in the summer. Le Fee has struggled to force his way into Roma’s plans, with just 10 appearances in all competitions this term.
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