Crystal Palace to muscle in with £7.5m Charlie Austin bid as Newcastle stall

CRYSTAL PALACE are reportedly set to take advantage of Newcastle's dallying by swooping in for QPR striker Charlie Austin.

 

Alan Pardew (left) is reportedly keen to land QPR's Charlie Austin this month

 

But The Sun claim Palace manager Alan Pardew has made Austin his No1 target for the January transfer window.

Austin's contract expires this summer and he is able to discuss pre-contract terms with clubs ahead of a free transfer at the end of the season.

But QPR are reportedly open to selling their star man this month before they lose him for nothing.

 

It was claimed Palace were willing to break their transfer record with a £15million bid for the 26-year-old.

But the Sun claim that figure could be as much as halved as the Eagles eye a bargain.

Newcastle are also said to be chasing Austin, who scored 18 goals in the Premier League last season, but will not rush into negotiations.

 

Last weekend Toon manager Steve McClaren refused to discuss speculation linking the club with Austin.

”I can’t mention names," the former England boss said.

"We are talking very privately and we are not discussing anything about January, any targets.

“We know what we need and we know what we are doing behind the scenes. I just say we’ll keep that private until such time that something happens.

"Believe you me, we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to correct things and move on and get results."

Magpies striker Papiss Cisse faces three months out with injury but McClaren appears far from finding a stand-in figure.

As for Palace, Pardew is keen to bring in a striker after the departure of loanee Patrick Bamford back to Chelsea.

Connor Wickham, Maraoune Chamakh, Fraizer Campbell and Dwight Gayle are all struggling for goals this term.