Queens Park Rangers face a battle to keep hold of Ryan Manning before the transfer window shuts with West Ham monitoring the Irishman.

With the 24-year-old having entered the final year of his contract and yet to agree a new deal, the R's are fully aware of the difficult position they find themselves in.

So much so, boss Mark Warburton has decided to leave the former Galway United man out of his match day squad for all of the Championship fixtures played so far. Clearly, they want a resolution one way or another.

And, that could be provided by West Ham. Reports emerged over the weekend from the Daily Mirror (5/10; page 42) suggesting that the Hammers had identified Manning as a potential target.

They claimed that a fee in the region of £5m could be needed to sort the deal, although no bid has been made.

Since then, further sources have confirmed West Ham's interest and it's believed that Manning's versatility is a particularly attractive quality to boss David Moyes.

His new 3-4-3 formation, which has brought remarkable wins against Wolves and Leicester, is going to be used moving forward and Manning would compete for the left wing-back position. As well as that, he provides another option in central midfield, which will be welcome given the Irons' lack of depth in that area.

Given the contract stand-off, it does seem as though a deal would suit all parties and as Manning won't command a huge fee, there has to be a confidence that an agreement can be reached.