'Don't fall in love with a loan player' is a mantra repeated at clubs across the EFL every season and it's no different at QPR – though one of their summer signings has not yet had enough opportunities to win the hearts of the Loftus Road support. 

The R's signed midfielder Taylor Richards on a season-long loan deal from Brighton in July as new boss Mick Beale looked to strengthen his options in the centre of the park but injury issues have limited his impact in W12 so far.

Richards played 13 minutes off the bench in the season opener against Blackburn Rovers but that was the last we saw of him until October.

The 21-year-old's return has been managed carefully by Beale and his staff but there were signs in the weeks ahead of the World Cup break that the Brighton loanee can be a really useful asset this term.

QPR endured a difficult end to the first part of the 2022/23 campaign – with a five-game winless run that included four losses seeing them drop out of the top six – but the forward impetus that Richards added from midfield was a clear positive.

The player will hope that with time to really get up to speed in the World Cup break, he can kick on when Championship football returns on the 10th of December to help the R's climb back into the play-off places and win the adoration of the Loftus Road support.

But it seems he has already done enough to convince Beale it's a good idea to keep him in west London long-term.

An option to buy was included in the loan deal that saw Richards, who was born not far from W12 in Hammersmith, join the Hoops on loan and his current boss seems keen to take that up.

He told West London Sport earlier this month: "I know that we've signed a very, very good player there and he's going to our boy come the summer so it's important that I make decisions based upon the long term."

The certainty with which Beale has spoken about Richards signing permanently in the summer and the fact that Brighton allowed an option to buy to be included in the deal would suggest he does not have a future at the Amex.

If the R's boss' views are anything to go by, they're going to benefit greatly from his parent club's stance.