Charlie Austin left his team-mates in a state of shock after a fiery outburst aimed at Ralph Hasenhuttl, according to The Sun.
They claim The Saints players were left bewildered as the striker branded the manager “disrespectful.”
The 30-year-old has become frustrated after being told he would not be part of their pre-season plans and being forced to train with the Under23s.
He had posted a tweet inferring he was being frozen out of the club, although his account has since been deactivated. It is unclear why he believes he deserves a place in the team, as last season he only scored two goals in 25 league games.
Austin rejected a move to West Brom last weekend, and was believed to have wanted to stay at St Mary’s and fight for his place, as reported by The Birmingham Mail.
However, he could have rejected the move because he did not want to step down a division. The forward is in the last year of his contract, so he may want to wait and leave for free next summer.
Doing so does not come without risks. After the arrival of Che Adams, his chances of getting in the team are minimal, and he could miss a whole year of football.
A positive for Austin is that other Premier League teams are interested in signing him. In an earlier article from The Sun, they claimed Aston Villa and Crystal Palace both want the forward.
