Armstrong contract extension activated

[QPROslo]

I read that QPR has activated the one year contract extension option we have for Armstrong. I see on social media that a lot of supports are happy for this extension. But this means that fans are happy to see him leave this summer for a modest nominal fee. The fact we activate the option we hold means that new contract talks for a longer contract have broken down. It was reported last autumn we had offered him a long contract, but this has obviously not been of any interest to Armstrong.

Armstrong can now leave for free next summer. He is still in need for a lot of development. It would make a lot of sense to focus on developing Armstrong if we had a long term contract in place, but not in the present situation with just a short extension. I think this means that we will put him in the shop window and sell him before the end of the transfer window. He will not be in our plans for next season. I trust we can get £1-2m as I suppose there will be a few clubs that will offer him a decent contract.

While Armstrong has strength and pace in abundance, I am far from sure that he will be a big hit, as his decision making and technical abilities are none league standard. It is hard to develop technical abilities when you have passed 20.

[Isleworth116]

Fair points. I honestly can't see any club paying transfer fee.

[Jonny]

The big problem is he has no natural attributes needed for a striker: movement, anticipation, finishing.

And just lacks footballing ability all round: touch, technique, awareness.

Probably in the wrong sport. Has attributes for a 100m sprinter.

Clearly he and his agent disagree and want far too much money, so get what we can this summer and reinvest.

[SheepRanger]

The big problem is he has no natural attributes needed for a striker: movement, anticipation, finishing.

And just lacks footballing ability all round: touch, technique, awareness.

Probably in the wrong sport. Has attributes for a 100m sprinter.

Clearly he and his agent disagree and want far too much money, so get what we can this summer and reinvest.

What money would you be happy with?

In another thread I said £8m + 20% sell on. But based on mainly potential and only one year left I'm now thinking £3m + 20% after your comments, and others.

Based on teams that bring through young players I think he'll go to Palace on a three year deal and then get loaned out to L1.

[Jonny]

What money would you be happy with?

In another thread I said £8m + 20% sell on. But based on mainly potential and only one year left I'm now thinking £3m + 20% after your comments, and others.

Based on teams that bring through young players I think he'll go to Palace on a three year deal and then get loaned out to L1.

Forgot that because he is u24, we are due a compensation fee even when he is out of contract next summer. So there is no rush to sell this summer per se. But if he doesn’t want to commit, the club won’t like that….

anyway, yes think 2-3m would be fair rate, plus sell on. Also asked chatGPT for reference cases of similar. It’s not that similar but does give a range and ballpark:

“While the specific compensation fee can vary greatly depending on individual circumstances, there have been some notable cases that provide a point of reference. Here are a few examples that align with your criteria:

1. **Danny Ings (2015)**:
- **Age**: 22
- **Previous Club**: Burnley (Premier League)
- **New Club**: Liverpool (Premier League)
- **Time at Previous Club**: 4 years
- **International Experience**: England U21
- **Compensation Fee**: £6.5 million (initial fee), rising to £8 million based on performance

2. **Demarai Gray (2016)**:
- **Age**: 19
- **Previous Club**: Birmingham City (Championship)
- **New Club**: Leicester City (Premier League)
- **Time at Previous Club**: Over 4 years (academy included)
- **International Experience**: England U20
- **Compensation Fee**: £3.75 million (release clause, hence no tribunal)

3. **Ethan Ampadu (2017)**:
- **Age**: 16
- **Previous Club**: Exeter City (League Two)
- **New Club**: Chelsea (Premier League)
- **Time at Previous Club**: 5 years
- **International Experience**: Wales U19, later full international
- **Compensation Fee**: £2.5 million

Given these examples, a player who is 21, has high potential, has been in the Championship, and is an Ireland U21 international might command a compensation fee somewhere in the range of £3 million to £6 million. This range reflects both the development costs and the high potential of the player, especially considering their international experience and the competitive level of the Championship”

[FurtiveFox]

Is a difficult one. He has raw attributes and has shown some signs of having potential to develop into a decent striker. However he did not really push on as much as I personally had hoped for last season. Yes it was a difficult season but at the same time our lack of striking options gave him plenty of opportunities to impress and whilst his pace and physicality impressed footballing wise was not convinced a reasonable chunk of the time.

Agree with view contract talks have likely broken down. Media talk of lots of interest but that is as likely to be BS as having any truth. If we can get £2m-£3m with add ons would probably not be a bad deal. If he doesn't kick on then he will likely end up at best Championship striker or equivalent abroad. 4 goals in 64 appearances for a striker not that great putting it kindly and yes I know a lot of those appearances were from the bench.

[Abseits]

A lot of recent U24 compensation deals have lots of add-ons. So, although the upfront fee can seem small, if the player does okay the overall package rapidly grows. They nearly always include a decent portion of any sell-on sale too.

Alternatively, a club could decide to buy him off us in January and tempt us with upfront cash rather than be in the lap of the committee that decides a compensation deal next Summer.

Given Armstong has a decent reputation and is getting picked for Ireland I think the total deal could be pretty decent. Ball's now in his court to put in regular 90-minute showings and develop some footballing "smarts". There is potential in the lad - it now needs to come to the fore.

[Martinmalta]

If his intentions are of leaving on a free, I will just bench him. No way I will help him develope further on our expence. It's the way Warburton used to do things and he was right. I assume if an offer is made, the club will accept it.

[Hoopsah]

Can't see anyone paying 2-3 mil for a player who has scored 2 or 3 goals in, what, over 60 games?

[SheepRanger]

Can't see anyone paying 2-3 mil for a player who has scored 2 or 3 goals in, what, over 60 games?

I tend to agree with you, but Les didn't cone good until what age? Back from Turkey when he was 22 or 23? But as others have said, why waste development time on him if he won't commit to us. He's a lucky young man to have been given the game time he has loyalty is a two wat street, if he thinks he can improve and bugger off then we should kick him out now and get what we can for him.

[Abseits]

Armstrong has done exactly what Dunne has done: had a one-year extension activated. However, nobody is shitbagging Jimmy for being disloyal or seeking to eff off on a free? Seems unfair to me.

[SheepRanger]

Armstrong has done exactly what Dunne has done: had a one-year extension activated. However, nobody is shitbagging Jimmy for being disloyal or seeking to eff off on a free? Seems unfair to me.

Jimmy will soon be 27yrs and even if we sold him there no reason to think that a sell on clause will reap us any cash. He's not under development and his transfer value isn't going to sky rocket from this point on.

SA is in a prime position as a striker where younger players can earn us millions in transfer fees. If we're not going to potentially get that with SA then that slot on the pitch should be given to another player.

Thats my take.......

[QPROslo]

Armstrong has done exactly what Dunne has done: had a one-year extension activated. However, nobody is shitbagging Jimmy for being disloyal or seeking to eff off on a free? Seems unfair to me.

I almost always agree with you, Abseits. You are one of the best posters on this message board. But this time I disagree. To me, Dunne and Armstrong are two very different cases.

As far as I know, QPR has not offered Dunne a long term contract that he has declined. I guess Dunne is dreaming and hoping QPR will want to tie him down to a longer contract, but the club is obviously not certain that it will be the right business. So QPR has effectively given Dunne just a one year contract, by triggering the one year extension option in his existing contract.

If we shall believe WLS and other media, QPR offered Armstrong a five year contract back in October 2023. I am quite certain talks have been ongoing, but without any end product. I suppose Armstrong thinks he will be offered better terms by bigger clubs and have turned QPR down. We have exercised the same one year extension as in Dunnes contract, but in the case of Armstrong it is probably against Armstrong's wish.

To me, these are two polar opposite cases. One player that is desperate to stay, and one player that thinks QPR is too small for him.

Armstrong is entitled to hold out for a better offer. If he thinks bigger clubs will come around and offer more money, it is his right to reject QPR. There is no reason to criticise him. Football players are not any different than other employees - they look for the best deal they can get. In light of the situation, I expect QPR to sell Armstrong before the end of the transfer window. However, we can always hope that Armstrong changes his mind.

Armstrong has some unique attributes, but I am far from certain he will go on to become a good player. I see that some fans draw comparison to Ferdinand and his seemingly late development. Ferdinand didn't turn into a good player for QPR until he returned from a two year loan spell in Turkey in 1997. However, he was still young - he was only 21 years when his loan spell ended. When comparing Armstrong and Ferdinand, it is important to remember that Ferdinand played 68 matches for Besiktas, scoring no less than 50 goals in Turkey's top division. Armstrong has scored 4 in 64 matches at the same age (he turns 21 on 22 June). To me, the comparison isn't fair to Ferdinand - these two players are miles apart, even when comparing them at the same age.

I think Armstrong makes a mistake. I am not quite sure any better offer will come around. Unless he takes another step next season and start scoring more frequently, his value will go down, not up. Personally, I think a lot of players have made more progress than Armstrong under Marti. I count Dunne among them.

[72bus]

I've watched Armstrong enough to know he doesn't cut the mustard at this level.
He's all power and pace but has no natural Instinct for scoring , where to be , where to run too.... And he's always creamed after a hour .

[Dedders]

Armstrong is a bit part player - last ten minutes to petrify the defence (until they see he’s got no end product). Has so much potential with his speed and bulk, someone just needs to coach him on how to use it.