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“He Must Find Another Option” – Hasenhuttl Opens Up On Southampton Man’s Future

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Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has confirmed that out of favour striker Charlie Austin will be looking for new employers come the summer.

The 29-year-old attacker has had his injury troubles at St Mary’s Stadium following his arrival at the club back in the January 2016 window for a reported £4million and to date, he has 40 starting appearances to his name, with a further 39 showings from the substitutes bench and he’s returned 20 goals.

In 25 appearances this year, he has only found the back of the net three times though and he’s clearly out of favour under Hasenhuttl and we haven’t seen him on the pitch since the beginning of the month.

With talk of Southampton turning down a £7million offer for him in the last January window, the Sun (print edition 23/4 P53) quote Hasenhuttl talking about his future and he is clearly free to leave as we looked elsewhere for a goal threat.

“Charlie is very clear on the situation that he must find another option where he plays more often. That’s a situation you can handle for a few months or even a year but not for five years because you are not born as a footballer to sit on the bench. If he comes to me and says ‘it was nice to help you but I want to play and that’s what I want to leave’, I’m the last guy who says you can’t.”

With the expectation that there will be a pretty significant overhaul come the summer, the same report also states that in addition to letting Jordy Clasie and Wesley Hoedt move on, we’ll also make Academy product Jack Stephens available as the last time the 25-year-old got 90 minutes under his belt was back in the defeat to Cardiff in February.

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