Newcastle United "remain interested" in Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin, with the Daily Mail claiming the Magpies are stalling on a deal due to concerns over the striker's long-standing shoulder injury. The Metro claimed earlier on Monday that Austin "could sign" for the Magpies as soon as this week, but the Daily Mail suggests it could draw on for longer than that due to the fact Newcastle have arranged preliminary medical checks on the 26-year-old forward's shoulder. Additionally, the Daily Mail also state that Tyneside is Austin's preferred destination - but that Newcastle will demand QPR lower their £15 million asking price before a deal can be completed. https://twitter.com/chazaustin9/status/625339654775177216 Interestingly, The Sunday People claimed over the weekend that Newcastle are unwilling to meet the supposed £85,000-a-week wages wanted by the QPR striker, but the two reports on Monday seem to contradict that. What's more, Austin tweeted a picture of Mr Men character Mr Greedy with a caption showing lots of laughing faces from his own personal account on Sunday, suggesting the claims about his desired wages may be over-inflated. QPR boss Chris Ramsey confirmed last week that the west London club have rejected more than one offer for Newcastle target Austin during this transfer window - and that the striker himself has also rebuffed some of them. Leicester City are known to have had a £12 million offer turned down earlier in the summer, but it is unclear who the second bid came from - with the likes of Villa, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, AFC Bournemouth and the Magpies also interested in the forward. The 26-year-old netted 18 Premier League goals last season and is one of the most sought-after strikers in England, plus he is entering the final year of his QPR contract. And his current manager at QPR has revealed that the club have rejected more than one bid already for the former Swindon Town and Burnley hitman this off-season. Quoted in The Mirror, Ramsey said:
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.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
