Kolbeinn Sigthórsson is leaving Eredivisie champions Ajax after having spent three seasons in Amsterdam. Head coach Frank de Boer earlier today stated that “Sigthórsson is close to transfer” and is set to leave to Amsterdam club writes Alex Pieter.

He is set to join English side Queens Park Rangers for a reported fee of £5m. The striker duties in Amsterdam are now the responsibility of new signings Arkadiusz Milik and Ricardo Zivkovic.

Sigthórsson’s time in Amsterdam can best be described as tumultuous. The Icelander never really developed into the player Ajax hoped he would when they bought him from AZ Alkmaar in 2011 for €4.5m. A large part of this was due to Sigthórsson’s inability to stay healthy. He suffered a series of injuries while at Ajax and was rarely in peak fitness or form. When he was, he showed brief flashes of his true potential. However, Sigthórsson did have a knack for scoring important goals for Ajax. This past season he managed 10 goals in 30 league appearances and many of those coming at vital times.

Sigthórsson’s biggest problem in Amsterdam was that he never had the attributes of a classic Ajax number nine. Sigthórsson is at his best when he is receiving a steady diet of crosses, something Ajax, traditionally, is not keen on doing.

For one, Sigthórsson struggles to create for himself and often needs his chances served to him on a silver platter in order to deliver. He is very average on the ball and lacks pace, which can be attributed to his long injury history, particularly his fractured ankle in the 2011-2012 season.

Frank de Boer tried him on the wing this year with very limited success, so versatility is another issue for Sigthórsson, as he is best as a lone or paired striker. His finishing is very inconsistent, something that must improve if he is to succeed at QPR.

Sigthórsson also has a bit of a “clutch factor” about him. It seemed this past year when Ajax was truly in need of a goal Sigthórsson was someone they could turn to, and many times he delivered. For example, he scored a huge goal in de Klassieker against Feyenoord which levelled the score 1-1, Ajax would go on to win 2-1. Another example is when he scored the lone goal in the first match back from the winter pause, to give Ajax an important three points against PSV.

For all of Sigthórsson’s shortcomings, he is still a very solid player. It may be that the Icelandic international just needs a change of scenery and a club that plays a style for suited to his strengths. A capable passer, Sigthórsson is also a physical attacker, standing at 6’3 he is a force to be reckoned with through the air.

If he is able to stay healthy, get quality service and fit into the QPR system he could end up being a very solid investment for the Premier League club.

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QPR have agreed to sign Icelandic footballer, Kolbeinn Sigthórsson, from Ajax. The fee believed to be in the region of £5 million for the 24 year old. It is believed that Harry Redknapp has offered  Sigthórsson a contract and is waiting to hear back from him.

Sigthórsson has played for Ajax since signing from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2011, and has appeared for the club 59 times scoring 24 goals during that span. The Icelandic international has also played for his country 23 times scoring 15 goals.

Earlier in his career, there was talk of interest from Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, but an ankle injury in 2011 slowed down his progress. What QPR will be receiving in the deal is an out-and-out goalscorer with speed, skill and strength that will certainly stand to him in the England’s Premier League.

Ajax also lost another striker, their club captain, Siem de Jong to Newcastle earlier in the transfer window. Although the Amsterdam-based club are not unfamiliar to losing their star players, the loss of two of their star strikers during a hectic summer window will be tough. The two men accounted for 17 goals between them last season, with only Davy Klaassen equalling Sigthórsson 10 goal haul.

Ajax manager Frank de Boer coach did state last season that teams should keep away from Klaassen and Joel Veltman, expecting them to be the targets of plenty of transfer attention, he never mentioned de Jong or Sigthórsson and it appears teams heeded his warning.

While not being technically gifted, the man who is set to become Harry Redknapp’s latest signing has quite a good eye for goal and is an excellent finisher. He would be joining at team that still boasts Loic Remy, Charlie Austin, Junior Hoilett and Bobby Zamora and Kevin Doyle, although Zamora is still to sign a new contract with the club and Remy has been linked heavily with a move away. QPR were relegated, having finished last, during the 2012/13 campaign of the English Premier League with the least amount of goals scored, a paltry 30, which was 13 goals behind their closest rivals.

Sigthórsson would be looking to follow the success of his countryman, Eidur Gudjohnsen, who excelled during his time with Chelsea, and the comparisons will not be slow to roll in. A move for Sigthórsson to a different league at this point of his career might be good thing and if he can hit the ground running, QPR fans will be signing his name from the terraces in no time at all.

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