Charlie Austin – Queens Park Rangers
No, Charlie, we haven’t forgotten about you. Last season, Austin was, if not for Harry Kane, the best English striker in the Premier League, although his goals couldn’t save QPR from relegation. Everyone expected some mid-table team to snap him up last summer, but no one did. David Sullivan, West Ham’s chairman, has waxed lyrical – inappropriately so – about Austin’s allegedly dodgy knees, but Austin shrugged off these claims, and has scored well for Rangers in the Championship, with 9 goals in 16 matches.
For Austin, the clubs interested in him might not be able to wait for next season; those in dire need of a proven Premier League striker – Aston Villa, Sunderland, and Swansea come to mind – might not survive this season if they wait. There are other clubs though, perhaps Norwich or Newcastle, who might be able to survive this season as is, and then welcome Austin in six months time.
Likely Destination: If he isn’t bought in January, Norwich.
