Aston Villa are ready to pounce for striker Charlie Austin if Southampton suffer relegation from the Premier League this season, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper report that the Saints are set to struggle to keep hold of the 28-year-old this summer if that happens, with Leicester and Bournemouth also showing interest.
The Mirror claim that the Cherries are long-term admirers, with a striker slot set to open at the Vitality this summer, and Leicester boss Puel knows Austin from their time together at St. Mary’s.
Austin is the Saints’ top scorer this season with six goals, despite the fact that the striker has missed a large chunk of the season through injury.
The 28-year-old has an incredible career goalscoring record of one every two games, with 144 goals coming in 289 appearances.
Good move for Aston Villa?
Absolutely.
Austin is a proven Premier League and Championship performer, so a move for the 28-year-old makes sense even if Villa fail to secure promotion this season.
While the striker has struggled with injuries in recent years, he has shown that he can come straight back in and score goals again, illustrated by his six goals for Southampton this season.
His height and size mean he is a handful for defences to deal with, and his finishing ability is unquestionable after so many years scoring for fun.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
One issue here may be wages, with Austin likely to be on some big money at St. Mary’s.
That means that Villa are only likely to be able to secure his signature if they are promoted, which introduces a massive unknown into the equation.
The other big issue will obviously be competition, with Leicester and Bournemouth both ready to swoop with their Premier League transfer kittys.
This is Futbol rating: 4/10