Taylor Richards set for Championship return after 'crazy' Birmingham City loan

Taylor Richards could be headed back to the Championship after last season’s non-starter of a loan spell with Birmingham City. West London Sport report Queen’s Park Rangers want to close a deal to take the attacking midfielder from Brighton.

With Richards having two years left on his Brighton deal, they say Rangers want to sign him either permanently, or on loan with a view to a permanent transfer for what would be his second crack at the second tier.

His first saw him make only five appearances in half a season at St Andrew’s, largely due to the fact he suffered an ankle injury during his medical in January. That meant it was nearly two months before Blues fans saw anything of him and he would not feature in any of the final four matches.

Taylor's misfortune was lamented by Lee Bowyer at the time, the former head coach saying: "I have never heard anything like this. The players have done it a thousand times – it’s just this season, he did it ten times and then he does it. It’s crazy. I have never heard of a player getting injured in the medical.”

However, he has good pedigree having started out at Fulham and he spent four years in the Manchester City youth set up before joining Brighton in 2019. Prior to last season he had a good campaign with Doncaster in League One.

He spent last season on loan at Birmingham, having spent the previous campaign on loan at Doncaster where he scored 11 times in 48 games. WLS say QPR are still looking for a midfielder, right-back and at least one striker before the Championship season starts, with Millwall’s Danny McNamara one option. They have already brought in ex-Blues loanee Jake Clarke-Salter and Kenneth Pal, with Tylor Roberts on loan from Leeds United.

For their part Blues