Queens Park Rangers and Oxford United have had disappointing starts to the Championship campaign, with neither side experiencing a win at this point.
Oxford United lost 3-2 away to Hull City last weekend; with both clubs expected to be among those battling within the relegation scrap come the end of the season, it was a disappointing result for Gary Rowett’s side.
Meanwhile, they lost to a 10-man Watford side last weekend, with life under new manager Julien Stéphan not beginning as he would have hoped, as the Hornets secured a 2-1 victory.
QPR won the race for Richard Kone from Wycombe Wanderers, and this has caused much fanfare among the supporters, while Oxford have strengthened their attacking options with the loan signing of Will Lankshear.
Kone playing for Wycombe
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
However, now both clubs have identified that they need reinforcements in defence to achieve their aims this campaign.
QPR and Oxford to battle for Ben Davies
Ben Davies has had a colourful career to this point, with the 30-year-old expected to be on the move once again as he is of interest to both QPR and Oxford.
Davies is currently contracted to Rangers but spent the last season on loan at Birmingham City, helping them get a record points haul in League One.
Now, as reported by Pete O’Rourke on X, formerly known as Twitter, Davies is set to be the subject of a tug-of-war over the versatile defender.
Davies began his career at Preston and demonstrated that he was capable of playing at Championship level, earning a shock move to Liverpool in February 2021.
He secured a move to Rangers in July 2022 and was part of their 2024 Scottish League Cup success.
Jurgen Klopp believed he was a fantastic player
It was a shock when Liverpool signed Ben Davies from Preston North End in February 2021, and it did not work out for the defender at the club.
Davies never featured for Liverpool in his time contracted to the club, heading out on loan to Sheffield United for the 2021/22 season in the Championship as he was deemed surplus to requirements at the time before leaving the club.
However, Jurgen Klopp appeared to be a huge fan of the player upon signing him for Liverpool, despite him never having played for Liverpool.
Speaking to the club website, Klopp said: “He’s a boy who played his whole life for Preston, is around the corner pretty much. We see the potential, really. We see the quality, and we see the potential as well because he’s 25, and there’s a lot to come for him.
“I love a lot about his play. He’s a really good footballer, looks like a proper leader in this Preston team, is good in challenges, looks football smart, and can play different positions because he played in a back three and a back four and all these things.
“That makes him really interesting, so I’m really looking forward to working with him. I know for him it’s an opportunity, and I see it exactly the same for us, that it’s a really good thing to do.”