After surviving in the Premier League on the final day of the 2011-12 season, Queens Park Rangers were expected to make a significant impact in the transfer market during the following summer.
Despite making 13 signings throughout the campaign, they were left clinging onto their top-flight status, and the Loftus Road supporters demanded an improvement ahead of their opening fixture in August 2012.
Manager Mark Hughes signed the likes of Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung, Blackburn Rovers starlet Junior Hoilett and Champions League winner Jose Bosingwa, while also adding goalkeeper Robert Green on a free transfer.
The acquisition of Green lead to the belief that Hughes had completed his business in the goalkeeping department, until reports began to emerge linking Julio Cesar with the Hoops.
Cesar had recently announced that he was ending his seven-year association with Italian giants Inter Milan after making 300 appearances for the San Siro outfit.
He was widely expected to join a top European club who were competing in the Champions League, but he surprised everyone by signing a four-year contract at QPR.
It represented a huge statement of intent from Hughes and the club's owners, but it was also a transfer that had the potential to cause problems in West London.
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Green had left West Ham with his pick of clubs to choose from, and would have expected to be number one stopper, but that quickly changed upon the arrival of the Brazilian international.
Cesar was left out of QPR's match with Manchester City immediately after his arrival, but he made his debut against Chelsea soon afterwards, and continued to be considered first choice for the remainder of 2012.
However, despite his inclusion, he was unable to improve the club's fortunes, keeping just two clean sheets in 13 appearances before the turn of the year.
2013 brought an improvement in form for both Cesar and his side, with the South American stopper gaining shutouts against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
But as the season continued, the Hoops began to fall further and further away from safety, and they were eventually relegated from the Premier League, ending the campaign in last place.
With the club requiring to lower their wage bill after their demotion to the Championship, Cesar was instantly linked with a move away from Loftus Road.
Arsenal and Napoli reportedly displayed an interest earlier in the summer, but a move has yet to materialise, leaving his future very much in doubt.
The 33-year-old has not featured for QPR at the start of this season, suggesting that the final few days of the transfer window could be busy for the Brazil number one.
Darren Plant
