Could Charlie Austin be the man Crystal Palace need to push themselves up the Premier League table?
Across the entire 2018/19 season, Crystal Palace’s strikers scored a combined seven Premier League goals. Five of those came via Michy Batshuayi, the Chelsea loanee who returned to Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign.
Palace fans don’t need us to tell them that is a dismal record, one that simply must improve if the club has any chance of fighting for a place in the top half of the table any time soon.
But with funds seemingly tight at a club who haven’t spent a penny so far this summer, back-up goalkeeper Stephen Henderson is their only new addition, don’t expect a £20 million goal-machine to arrive at Selhurst Park any time soon.
At this point, Crystal Palace supporters would be more than happy with anyone better than the injury-prone Connor Wickham or the bumbling Christian Benteke. A striker capable of netting more than once in a Premier League season shouldn’t be hard to find.
Especially when there’s someone like Charlie Austin available for £8 million, as reported by The Sun. The same publication claimed back in January that Crystal Palace were interested.
Yes, Austin has had a difficult few years at Southampton but its not long since he was plundering 18 goals for a relegated Queens Park Rangers side in England’s top flight. At 30, the former Charlton ace has plenty left to offer and Palace fans would be thrilled to see this old-school number one rediscover his form at Selhurst Park.
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