Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea face renewed transfer competition for Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin, with Aston Villa having joined the race for the hitman.
According to the Express and Star, the English forward is being targeted by Tim Sherwood as a potential replacement for Christian Benteke.
The Belgian striker appears set for a move to Liverpool, with the Merseyside giants having met his £32.5 million release clause to bring him to Anfield [Mirror].
Should the 24-year-old complete his move, Sherwood will be faced with the loss of not only his best striker, but also his best midfielder and defender as well, with Fabian Delph and Ron Vlaar both having left Villa Park.
The local paper understand that Sherwood is earmarking Austin—valued at £15 million by QPR—as a potential replacement for the departing Belgian.
However, he may well face competition from two EPL heavyweights, with both Tottenham and Chelsea having been linked to his signature [Express].
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Favourites for his signature remain Newcastle United, who, despite signing Aleksander Mitrovic from Anderlecht for £13 million, are keen to further strengthen their offensive options [Chronicle].
Leicester City have already had a £12 million bid for the forward rejected [Telegraph], and it remains to be seen whether they will look to compete for the player again.