WhatCulture.com/NUFC understands Newcastle United have told Queens Park Rangers that they won't offer more than £13 million for Charlie Austin. However, The Magpies are willing to allow a couple of their fringe players to head to Loftus Road as part of any deal. United aren't willing to pay the 26-year-old's full asking price of £15 million because they still have their reservations about the much publicised shoulder and knee problems which saw him fail a medical at Hull City in 2013. In order to entice The Hoops into allowing their striker - who wants to leave for a Premier League side - to move to the North East, Newcastle have told the Championship side they can have one of a list of fringe players including the likes of Haris Vuckic and Gael Bigirimana. Steve McClaren and the rest of United's new football board are now waiting for Rangers' reply. Leicester City have already had a £12 million bid rejected this summer, while the likes of Chelsea, AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Aston Villa are all rumoured to be interested. Betting was suspended on the 18-goal hit-man moving to St James' Park a couple of weeks ago, but Villa have found themselves as the favourites to land the former bricklayer's signature in recent times after Anderlecht's Aleksandar Mitrovic joined The Magpies for £12.3 million on Tuesday. However, Newcastle want to bolster their attacking options further in an attempt to land an eighth-placed Premier League finish and a good cup run this season.
