Stone Cold Stunner as Reds target Austin?

Liverpool have reportedly been in contact with the representatives of in demand QPR striker Charlie Austin.

The former Swindon Town and Burnley man is also said to be interesting Chelsea who are on the lookout for a back up frontman to replace the departing Didier Drogba, while Southampton, Newcastle and Aston Villa remain keen on the £15m rated poacher who bagged 18 goals in his debut Premier League campaign this year.

The link with Austin and the Reds has been around for a few months and initially it appeared to lack any real foundation. It’s gotten stronger recently and clearly it’s coming from somewhere. A lot of it seems to be coming out of the North East so perhaps QPR are trying to force the hand of Newcastle - who have made him their number one target this summer - by throwing Liverpool’s name into the mix?

Alternatively it might be the Reds allowing themselves to be linked with Austin to show their main target Christian Benteke that they have other options if he doesn’t try to get Villa to lower their asking price. Most likely it’s the player’s agent trying to drum up more interest, but unlikely as it initially seems, perhaps the Reds genuinely do want Austin? He would certainly be in keeping with the 'buy British' nature of this summer’s business to date.

While a move for Austin's former team-mate Danny Ings didn’t exactly set the pulses racing, there was solid logic behind it as Ings is young, out of contract (and available for a low fee) and his all action style seems a good fit for how Brendan Rodgers likes his strikers to play. Austin on the other hand ticks none of those boxes. He’s 26 years old next month, he won’t come cheap and while he is certainly a goalscorer, he’s a penalty box striker and would have to adapt his game considerably to lead the line for this Liverpool team.

Normally you could file this one away under “tabloid nonsense” but the way Liverpool have conducted their transfer business in recent years would a move for Austin actually be that surprising?