If QPR are to succeed this season they will have done so against all odds given the crazy transfer fees some Championship sides have paid this season.
Newcastle and Aston Villa have paid seven figure fees for players this season and spending is at a level never seen before in the second tier.
Director of football Les Ferdinand admitted that Rangers are in the ‘second tier’ of Championship clubs when it comes to transfer budgets
He said: “It seems like [transfer fees have] gone absolutely mental in terms of what people are paying with Newcastle, Aston Villa and Norwich coming down.
“The prices those teams were paying, we’re in a second tier to that along with the rest of the teams in the Championship.”
Just 20 years ago, Ferdinand was playing with the then world record buy Alan Shearer who cost the Magpies £15 million.
Aston Villa will pay that amount for Jonathan Kodjia if he fulfils all the clauses of his original £11m up front deal.
Ferdinand added: “When you look at what has been spent in the Premier League. Newcastle spent a lot of money, but they made a lot of money.
"They’re financially in a good position. It’s difficult to say where it’s going to go and where it’s going to stop. The average fee is starting at £15m in the Premier League.
"In the Championship, with the teams that drop out of the Premier League each year, you’re going to find they can spend more money. In a few years, we’ll be going to £20m or £25m.”
QPR made several astute signings during the window and Ferdinand has prioritised players who have had leadership roles at previous clubs including Jake Bidwell, Joel Lynch and Jordan Cousins.
He said: “We wanted to bring the right types in. Jake (Bidwell) at 22, 23 years of age was captaining Brentford.
“We want to bring players in that want to advance their careers and having spoken to them and seen their hunger and desire it means they’re going to show it, which will take the club in the direction we want to go.
"They want to get to the Premier League with us and if they don’t get there with us they still want to get there and it means they’ll give everything they can to progress their careers and the football club.
“The boys all fall into that mould. Lynch is the oldest one we’ve brought in, but he’s got bags of experience.
“The manager wanted a left footed centre half and Joel is someone he’s worked with before and he felt he’d fill the role that he wanted in that position.”
