Aston Villa

Aston Villa among host of sides interested in Premier League striker

According to The Telegraph, Championship side Aston Villa are interested in Southampton striker Charlie Austin, who could leave the Premier League side before the transfer window closes.

Southampton striker Charlie Austin will reportedly be allowed to leave the Premier League side this week, with Championship side Aston Villa one of the sides interested in the Englishman.

Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has deemed Austin surplus to requirements according to reports and he is now expected to leave St Mary’s Stadium before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday. He has started just two games since the arrival of Hasenhuttl in December, struggling to prove himself under the Austrian.

Now, his spell with the Saints is expected to come to an end sooner rather than later. Premier League side Wolves are also interested in the striker, while Turkish giants Galatasaray have reportedly made an enquiry regarding a possible move for Austin.

Austin has struggled for consistency during his spell at Southampton but has still notched up a decent 20 goals in 72 games at St Mary’s. He was a prolific goalscorer during his time in the Football League, playing for Swindon, Burnley and QPR.

Starting his career at Swindon, Austin scored an impressive 37 goals in 63 games while playing in League One. His impressive performances for Swindon earned him a move to Championship side Burnley. Austin enjoyed two prolific seasons at Turf Moor, scoring 16 goals in 41 in his first full season with Burnley. He then improved on that total in the next campaign, notching up 24 goals in 37 League games.

In the summer of 2013, Austin moved to QPR and scored 19 goals in 34 games as QPR won promotion to the Premier League via the Play-Offs. His first season in the Premier League saw him become one of the top scorers in the League, netting 18 goals in 35 Premier League games.

The Telegraph writes that Villa are looking to bring Austin in with Abraham highly unlikely to remain beyond the summer. However, Dean Smith usually operates with just one striker, meaning Austin and Abraham would have to compete for the starting striker slot throughout the second half of the season.

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