This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Queens Park Rangers have struck an agreement with West Brom to sign striker Charlie Austin until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old returns to the west London club following a fruitful stint at the R's between 2013 and 2016, where he became a regular scorer as the club competed in the top-flight.

Austin has struggled to make much of an impact at West Brom and his first-team opportunities have been hard to come by in the Premier League this term.

So, what do you make of this from a QPR perspective? Is Austin a good signing? Will he be a guaranteed starter with the likes of Dykes and Bonne competing for starting berths?

The team here at FLW take a look....

George Harbey

I think it’s a very, very impressive bit of business to be honest.

Austin hasn’t been at his best for West Brom since joining them last summer, but his record in front of goal speaks for itself.

He managed to score 11 goals last season despite not playing anywhere near to his full ability, with Hal Robson-Kanu starting most games ahead of him.

He knows QPR as a club like the back of his hands, and I think that can only bode him well going forward. When you’re used to scoring goals at a certain ground and for a certain club, that class in front of goal never seems to go away.

QPR have struggled for goals this season, and for me, he gives Lyndon Dykes genuine competition up top. He should start most weeks.

 

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George Dagless

Could be a great signing.

Of course, QPR fans are delighted and they will just hope that the forward has still got what it takes to score goals for them.

There's no reason why he should struggle, of course, and I would expect him to be in the side pretty quickly as he gets refamiliarised with things in W12.

QPR need goals, Lyndon Dykes' slashed finish in the FA Cup on Saturday showed that, and Austin has always been a goal-scorer.

He'll be relishing the challenge and playing regular football and I would expect it to help the Hoops up the table.

Chris Thorpe

Brilliant signing in my opinion, and certainly one which will bring back great memories of his last spell for the fans and the player alike.

I think he simply has to start as he wouldn't have rejoined the club if he wasn't guaranteed to do so after being frozen out at West Brom.

He is a proven goal scorer at Championship level so I don't think anyone in their right mind will doubt that he isn't a good signing for the R's.

He'll add that killer instinct that their play has been lacking thus far and will add a different option to that of what is offered by Lyndon Dykes.