Tottenham Hotspur are aiming to snatch in at the 11th hour ahead of both Newcastle United and West Ham United and claim the signature of Charlie Austin this summer, according to reports. The Mirror reports an "exclusive" that Spurs are looking to lure Austin across London to White Hart Lane in order to replace Emmanuel Adebayor, who is wanted by Aston Villa. Interestingly, Villa also reportedly hold an interest in Austin, but it seems that Adebayor could become their player instead. What's more, The Mirror claim that Spurs have already spoken to QPR about Austin's availability. Last week, Steve McClaren denied that Newcastle had been in "contact" with QPR over Austins availability, despite various reports having linked the Magpies with a move. Last month, The Daily Mail suggested that Haris Vuckic had been offered as a makeweight in a deal to sign Austin, with the Magpies unwilling to meet QPRs £15 million asking price. Yet McClarens assertions after Newcastles 1-0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach conflict these reports, and suggest the Magpies head coach is possibly not looking to acquire the 18-goal hitman after all. McClaren told The Shields Gazette:
"Theres been a lot of talk about that throughout the weeks but weve not been in contact with QPR and theyve not with us so no. Thats just a name that circulates and has been going around."
"There have been offers. A player of Charlies ability, there will always be speculation. "At the moment, there has been nothing concrete. Weve had offers that weve rejected, and weve had offers that Charlie himself has not been happy to take on. "At the moment, hes a QPR player and hes working hard in training."