Michael Ballack could be set for a sensational return to west-London with Queens Park Rangers.

The former Chelsea midfielder is out-of-contract at the end of the season at his current club Bayer Leverkusen and has been told he can leave before the window slams shut on Tuesday if a club makes a formal approach for him.

QPR are likely to be one of the busiest teams over the next few days as new manager Mark Hughes has money to spend in order to preserve their Premier League status. He has already brought in Nedum Onuoha from Manchester City and Tom Taiwo on loan from AC Milan but midfield and striker options are still be purchased by Hughes, who oversaw his injury-hit side’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup.

That performance was proof that they need strengthening in many areas as their squad currently isn’t quite good enough to be able to cope with the demands of the Premier League.

Ballack would add some vital steel to a midfield that is missing the creative and fiery talents of Alejandro Faurlin, who is out of the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

The former Germany captain decided to return to Leverkusen in 2010 after falling out of favour at Chelsea.

His form had been good last season but the German side are struggling this year and sit sixth in the league. Ballack has gone public with his feelings about the current men in charge at the club and is very much looking to move on to pastures new.

The three-time German Footballer of the Year would provide Hughes with a different dimension in midfield.