Newcastle Transfer News: Toon "Open Negotiations" With QPR For £15m Charlie Austin

The Magpies are ramping up their summer recruitment drive.

By Chris Waugh / June 10, 2015

Newcastle United have already started negotiations with Queens Park Rangers over the signing of Charlie Austin, according to reports. The Magpies look set to do battle with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Southampton for the forwards signature this summer following QPRs relegation to the Championship - and The Sun claim Newcastle have already opened discussions. With Newcastle hoping to negotiate a figure of £10 million with the west London club, it is likely QPR will attempt to hold out for a fee of £15 million.

The 25-year-old refused to be drawn on where his future lay during his England press conference last week, neither confirming nor denying he would be at Loftus Road come August. When asked about whether he would remain at QPR next season, Austin simply responded:

What will be, will be.

Austin was the fourth-top scorer in the Premier League in 2014-15 having bagged an impressive 18 goals despite playing for a side who finished bottom of the table and he has just a year left on his Loftus Road deal.

And QPR boss Chris Ramsey, speaking a couple of weeks ago, said of his strikers future:

I think it will be difficult to hold on to him (Austin). Goalscorers are the people everybody wants at the end of the season. Im hoping that he stays but it would be naive of me to say for sure he is going to stay here. He wont go with my blessing. I want him to stay. But whatever happens, people have got careers and they have journeys that they are on an ambitions they want to fulfil. And Im sure Charlie will consider that when he makes his decision.

Newcastle need to add firepower to their strikeforce because they managed just 40 Premier League goals throughout the entirety of the previous campaign - and top-scorer Papiss Cisses future at the club is in doubt, meaning they will have just Ayoze Perez, Adam Armstrong and the goalless Emmanuel Riviere as forwards next year. They have turned their attention to the highly-coveted Austin, who will want to remain in the Premier League - and that cannot be with QPR next season following their relegation. Austin has scored 107 goals in 199 league games for Swindon, Burnley and QPR since the beginning of 2010. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow whatculture.com/NUFC on Twitter and Facebook.