Charlie Austin has scored just two Premier League goals all season and he’ll leave Southampton with Jordy Clasie, Jack Stephens and Wesley Hoedt.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has told Charlie Austin that he is free to leave Southampton this summer as part of a substantial off-season overhaul, as reported by the Sun (23 April, page 53).
Austin moved to St Mary’s from QPR in January 2016 for a fee of £4 million, according to the BBC, but has struggled for form this season with just three goals in 25 games in all competitions.
And his game time has been drastically reduced since former RB Leipzig boss Hasenhuttl replaced Mark Hughes in the dugout, having been left on the bench for three of Southampton’s last four Premier League games.
Sky Sports claimed in January that Southampton rejected a £7 million bid for Austin on transfer deadline day almost three months ago but it seems that they will now be willing to listen to offers again.
“Charlie is very clear on the situation that he must find another option where he plays more often,” Hasenhuttl told the Sun.
“That’s a situation you van handle for a few months or even a year but not for five years because you are not born as a footballer to sit on the bench. If he comes to me and says ‘it was nice to help you but I want to play and that’s what I want to leave’, I’m the last guy who says you can’t.”
In addition to Austin, the Sun reports that Hasenhuttl is willing to sell homegrown centre-back Jack Stephens while Jordy Clasie and Wesley Hoedt (below), the Dutch duo who are on loan at Feyenoord and Celta Vigo right now, are also available.
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