Sol Campbell is ‘apparently’ a shock contender to replace Mark Warburton at Queens Park Rangers, leaving The Sun journalist Alan Nixon baffled.

The Lowdown: Warburton out

Warburton’s departure became official at the end of the season as QPR missed the playoffs by nine points.

The 59 year-old was a steady presence during his time at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium though, winning 1.4 points per game across 150 matches.

Now tasked with finding a replacement capable of closing that gap to the top six next season, the Hoops leadership have been linked with numerous names, such as MK Dons boss Liam Manning, and after reports this week claimed former Arsenal legend Campbell is a contender, Nixon has now weighed in…

The Latest: Nixon shocked

According to the reliable reporter, news of interest in acquiring Campbell’s services is indeed true.

Asked by a QPR fan on Twitter about the validity of the links, Nixon confirmed the 47 year-old is ‘apparently in the shortlist’ and added a surprised emoji.

The Verdict: A huge risk

Put simply, one has to question the direction of the club if they truly feel Campbell is the right man to serve as an upgrade to Warburton.

The former centre-back averaged roughly half of Warburton’s win rate in his last role at Southend United - an incredibly poor 0.74 points per game, leaving the club relegated after just 23 matches (Transfermarkt).

With several key players approaching either the ends of their contracts or the last 12 months this summer (Transfermarkt), the board cannot afford to get this wrong and cast the squad into turmoil.