Queens Park Rangers centre-back Conor Masterson has secured a temporary move away from the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

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In a statement posted on the QPR website, the club confirmed that the 22-year-old has joined League One side Cambridge United on loan until January 6th.

The move comes shortly after Mark Warburton revealed there was a considerable amount of interest in the Republic of Ireland U21, with the 58-year-old suggesting that he would only be sanctioning the departure of the defender if he was satisfied that the bidding club would help further the youngster's development.

The manager said: "There's interest in Conor. He's done well for us at Championship level and if he goes out on loan, it's got to be the right move for his development.

"Clubs are well aware of Conor. Les will work on the right move. It has to be right – you don't just send a player out willy-nilly. You have to make sure it'll be right for his career development path.

"If that opportunity arises for Conor then we'll take it. If not, then we're very happy to have him here."

Warburton will be delighted

Considering the QPR manager's comments regarding Masterson's loan move, it would appear as if the 58-year-old believes that Cambridge are a side that meet all of his criteria in order to sanction the temporary departure of the centre-back, something that will undoubtedly delight the former Glasgow Rangers boss.

While the £270k-rated man's game time has been limited since joining the Rs back in 2019, with the 22-year-old making just 20 first-team appearances for the club, Masterson has nevertheless demonstrated that he is a player with a significant amount of potential.

This is something the £3.4k-per-week defender has already proven at Cambridge, as, after being parachuted straight into the U's starting XI following his arrival, he helped his new side keep a clean sheet, as well as making five clearances, winning six duels and completing 18 passes in their 3-0 win over Burton Albion.

These returns saw the player Warburton himself dubbed an "excellent" talent earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as United's joint fourth-best player in the fixture.

As such, should Masterson continue this level of performance during his spell at the Abbey Stadium, he will undoubtedly come back to QPR in January as a much more well-rounded defender, something that would please Warburton greatly.

In other news: Lost 75% duels: £810k-rated QPR flop who lost possession 10x failed Warburton vs Tykes