Aston Villa are said to be interested in snapping up Southampton striker Charlie Austin in the summer.
If Villa are to be promoted then they will surely need to find a goalscorer, as there are question marks over all their current striking options.
Jonathan Kodjia’s fitness appears unreliable, Scott Hogan has scored only in patches, and Keinan Davis is still developing.
Austin, though, is a proven goalscorer at Premier League level and would be a major upgrade on Villa’s current strikers.
The 28-year-old is Southampton’s top scorer this campaign, despite missing a chunk of it with injury.
Austin has netted six goals in 17 appearances for the Saints, and his clinical finishing would make Villa a major threat.
Villa are likely to face major competition for Austin’s signature, but if they could get a deal over the line, it would arguably be their most exciting capture for a number of years – and Bruce should do everything in his power to bring the goalscorer to Villa Park.
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