Newcastle backed to sign QPR striker Charlie Austin

Sky Bet have suspended betting on Newcastle signing QPR striker Charlie Austin after reporting bets at as short as 1/10.

The 26-year-old, who scored 18 goals in his debut season in the Premier League, is widely expected to leave Loftus Road after Rangers were relegated back to the Sky Bet Championship.

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Austin’s impressive haul earned him a first England call-up towards the end of the campaign and he has been linked with several top-flight clubs.

However, the odds on Aston Villa, West Ham, Chelsea and Bournemouth drifted significantly as interest in him joining the Magpies cranked up, while Austin was 20/1 to remain with QPR before the market was pulled.

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Sky Bet’s Chris Spicer said: “It has come as somewhat of a surprise to see such interest in Charlie Austin’s future amid a lack of media reports surrounding his future.

“The size of the bets also imply that they came from sources that know something that we don’t, forcing us to cut the odds significantly and eventually pull the market.”