Queens Park Rangers supporters may have been feeling incredibly down following their 4-0 hammering at the hands of Watford on the opening day of the 2023-24 Championship season, but a win on the road against Cardiff City this past weekend may have alleviated some fears.
The Hoops struggled last season with three different individuals taking charge of the club at different times, and Gareth Ainsworth had a bit of a nightmare pre-season with a lack of real signings and also injuries to his current crop of players.
He has had to work with the budget he’s got and there are clearly positive signs after a 2-1 win against the Bluebirds, but more fresh faces are needed and especially with exit rumours surrounding players such as Sam Field and Chris Willock.
Ainsworth has said he wants to add some Premier League loans to his squad before the September 1 transfer deadline as money is tight, and right-back is clearly an area that he is keen to address as the R’s have been linked with Arsenal’s Ryan Alebiosu.
West London Sport though claim that the fee the Gunners want simply to let the 21-year-old go on loan to Loftus Road is too high, so they may have to look elsewhere.
And if the recruitment team look to another big English club that are a bit further north, then they could find a perfect alternative at Man United in the form of Marc Jurado.
Who is Marc Jurado?
19-year-old Jurado is yet to make a senior appearance for the Red Devils, but he has a superb pedigree having spent nine years at Barcelona as a youth before making the move to England in 2020.
Despite playing in pre-season friendlies for United’s senior side and the occasional appearance on the bench in a competitive match, Jurado has had to gain his experience in the under-18’s and 21’s.
A youth international for Spain at under-19’s level, Jurado often captained United’s under-18’s in the 2021-22 season, showing leadership skills at a young age and was a key part of their FA Youth Cup-winning side in that season.
Graduating full-time to the under-21’s in 2022-23, Jurado was a regular in the Premier League 2 competition and he was very creative from right-back, scoring three times and notching four assists in 23 appearances at that particular level.
Would Man United sanction a loan deal for Marc Jurado?
QPR only have Osman Kakay and Aaron Drewe to choose from as out-and-out right-backs, with the latter being pretty untested at Championship level.
It makes sense therefore for a player in that position to be targeted, and with Ethan Laird filling that role last season on loan from Man United, it would make sense to go back to a club that the Hoops clearly have a decent relationship with.
Jurado has no senior experience but at the age of 19, he’s shown enough at under-21 level to suggest that he’s worth a go in the Championship.
In fact, last season’s stats have a close resemblance to that of another Spanish full-back at United in Alvaro Fernandez – he struck three goals and racked up five assists in 23 outings in the Premier League 2 and landed himself a loan move to Preston North End for the 2022-23 campaign, where he impressed to the point that top flight clubs in Europe are keen on him.
Jurado could have a similar experience should QPR make a move for him – there’s little chance of football for him at Old Trafford this season and the Championship would be a great platform for him to test himself, so the teenager should well and truly be on the West London outfit’s radar.
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