Last week saw Charlie Austin make the move from Championship side Queens Park Rangers to Premier League team Southampton.
With 18 goals to his name at the end of the 2014-15 Premier League campaign, many assumed that Austin would be certain to wrap up a deal with a top-flight side and was tipped one of the most likely to be picked up from the relegated outfits. The transfer never materialised, however, and the Englishman went down a division with QPR to record 10 goals in the first-half of the season.
Southampton started the season with a potent looking attacking lineup, but soon saw injury hit the man leading the line Graziano Pellè. Shane Long replaced the sidelined Italian, as the only real other recognised striker, but it was immediately apparent that the side would have to adjust with the Irish international up front. Significantly smaller bodied and reliant more on his pace than his strength, the hard working Long fit a different mould to Pellè, though he definitely has had success since making his way into the starting XI.
The Saints recalled young Sam Gallagher from loan, but it always seemed a strong possibility that the club would move to bring in another striker in January. Enter Austin, putting pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a fee reported at around £4 million. The new signing was in the stands to see his side overcome West Bromwich Albion with a 3-0 at St. Mary’s over the weekend, yet it is unclear as to when he will be involved himself.
The Positives
At 6’2 and much more of a physical presence, the incoming man more fits the type of Pellè and could be used as a more like-for-like replacement. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, it looks as though the Saints were able to secure the transfer at a significantly reduced fee. Valued by QPR before the start of 2015-16 at £15 million, the price Ronald Koeman paid looks like a bargain.
In the short-term the striker has undoubted goal scoring ability and in the latter rounds of the season could definitely help the side come home strong. Being a threat in the air and adept on either foot with the ability to hold up the ball, it would seem that Austin should slot in reasonably well in the new surroundings.
Most Premier League goals in 2014/15:
Sergio Aguero (26)
Harry Kane (21)
Diego Costa (20)
Charlie Austin (18) pic.twitter.com/7Chd2nWxiT— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 16, 2016
The Negatives
Though he has scored 10 times in the Championship this season, Austin has already missed 11 league games through injury limiting him to 16 appearances. Before making the move to QPR the 26-year-old looked to be set to leave Burnley for Hull City, yet the deal fell through after a failed medical, which was rumoured to have revealed a chronic ligament issue in his knee that will lead to continual re-injury. Coming into St. Mary’s not having played since the 15th of December, missing the half a dozen league matches through hamstring injury, it looks as though the club has taken a bit of a gamble on the striker’s fitness and long-term durability.
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Ronald Koeman seems fairly set in his ways at Southampton of sticking to a 4-2-3-1 formation, though there have been a few variations recently (the Dutch manager has opted for three at the back in a few of the recent games). Regardless a single striker formation seems the norm under Koeman’s tenure, yet now he has three Premier League quality strikers on his books. Long has before been utilised out wide but Pellè is an out-an-out No.9, now looking as though at least one would be set for some time on the bench were all options fit and available.
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