Aston Villa have been linked with Southampton’s Premier League bench-warmer Charlie Austin.
Eagle-eyed Southampton fans would have noticed one glaring omission from the 26-man squad heading out to Austria today for pre-season training, as provided by the club’s official website.
Cedric Soares and Wesley Hoedt have both been included despite being heavily linked with a move away from St Mary’s in recent weeks. But Charlie Austin, another who has been tipped to leave, is nowhere to be seen.
It seems more likely than ever that Austin has played his final game in the red and white stripes. The Sun claimed in June that the former QPR and Burnley forward had been made available for £8 million this summer and it looks as if they were absolutely spot on.
Fortunately for Austin, who started just 11 Premier League games in 2018/19, is not short of offers. The Sun adds that Midland rivals Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion are interested, while a return to London is on the cards with Fulham or Crystal Palace.
Austin scored 10 goals in 12 starts in his last spell in the Championship and he could be an inspired addition for a West Brom side who look set to lose Jay Rodriguez just weeks after Dwight Gayle’s departure.
Fulham, meanwhile, pulled off arguably the deal of the summer by tying the in-demand Aleksandar Mitrovic down to a new deal but they could do with taking the pressure off his shoulders. Austin, a striker with an excellent track record in the second tier, could be the prime candidate.
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