Newcastle United sent scouts to Elland Road to watch QPR defender Ryan Manning in his side’s 2-0 defeat to Leeds United on Saturday, according to Football Insider.
The Magpies are understood to have had representatives at the Championship clash, with view to gathering information on the 23-year-old left-back, ahead of a potential swoop in the January transfer window.
Manning has been a standout performer for the London club so far this term, and would be available for around £3 million, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
OPINION
This would be a really smart signing for Newcastle. Manning has been superb so far this term, and looks as if he could really do a job in the Premier League, were he to be given the opportunity to prove himself. At £3 million, not only would he be more than affordable, but he could prove to have a high resale value too, given how young he is, and that will always attract Mike Ashley to a player. In terms of his output this campaign, he has managed one goal and three assists from left-back, as well as 2.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 2.2 key passes, and an overall Whoscored rating of 7.12. That puts him in the top 10 defenders in the Championship based on his current form, and his potential is sky high. No doubt the Magpies will have to fight to land him, but if they could, it would be a real coup.