Charlie Austin was reportedly unhappy with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s decision to leave him out of Southampton’s pre-season tour.
According to a report from The Sun, a number of Southampton players were stunned by Charlie Austin’s reaction after the striker was told by Ralph Hasenhuttl that he would not be going on the club’s pre-season tour to Austria.
Austin’s future at St Mary’s appears to be up in the air. The Sun reports that the 30-year-old has rejected a move to West Brom, and is also on Aston Villa’s radar ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Hasenhuttl has certainly dropped a major hint that the forward is not in his plans for the coming season, with The Sun suggesting that Austin had been left to train with the under-23s while the first-team headed to Austria.
But it appears that Austin was not at all happy with the decision to leave him out of the touring group, as The Sun adds that his reaction to being told he was not going stunned some of his teammates.
While Austin reportedly wants to see out his contract with the Saints, it would surely be fair to say that the writing must be on the wall if his relationship with Hasenhuttl has broken down since he was sent to work with the under-23s at Staplewood.
He has been a decent signing for Southampton, but struggled to make an impact since the Austrian’s arrival. And with Che Adams pushing him further down the pecking order, it is looking like it may be best for all parties if a move away can be agreed before the summer window closes.
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