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Of all the players relegated from the Premier League last term, many would have expected Charlie Austin to have remained in England’s top tier beyond the end of the campaign. The Englishman was one of the surprise packages in his debut season in England’s top division, netting a noteworthy 18 league goals for QPR. Unsurprisingly interest remains high in his signature, but, at the time of writing, Austin remains a Hoops player.
However, the general consensus is that the 26-year-old will be turning out for a Premier League side come the close of the transfer window at the beginning of September. Having showcased his goalscoring talents to the watching world, it’s reasonable to suggest that Austin is easily good enough to continue plying his trade in the top-flight. 18 goals for a team that netted just 42 times - that in turn rendering Austin’s 42.9% individual goal contribution the best in the Premier League last season - merely reinforces that notion.
Newcastle were reportedly frontrunners in the race to secure his signature before landing Aleksandar Mitrovic. Aston Villa, in their hunt for a Christian Benteke replacement, have rightly sounded out the yet-to-be-capped striker, while Crystal Palace have also been credited with an interest.
However, teams who finished in a stronger position than the trio could, and perhaps should, consider moving for Austin. While he’s unlikely to be Louis van Gaal’s “surprise” striker - that honour, if rumours are to be believed, is bestowed upon Thomas Müller - but Austin’s exploits for a relegated team are enough to warrant interest from sides in the top half of the table.
The one main concern could well be that Austin performs better when partnered in attack. In today’s game, managers often look to use a system with a lone striker, with a 4-2-3-1 formation favoured among the likes of Jose Mourinho, Manuel Pellegrini and Arsene Wenger, to name three. For the Hoops, though, Austin was largely deployed alongside a teammate, be it Bobby Zamora or Eduardo Vargas.
At 26, there is scope to alter his game to match the needs of managers who opt to utilise a lone striker, and Austin’s stats suggest that he could indeed adapt accordingly. 2.6 aerial duels won per game was a solid return, while a pass success rate of 65.9% is in line with a number of the Premier League’s well-established target men.
Despite often being partnered, Austin would frequently take it upon himself to test the opposition goalkeeper, with an average of 3.7 shots per game bettered only by last season’s top Premier League goalscorer Sergio Agüero (4.5).
The confidence in his game helped him reach his eventual tally of 18 league goals and would benefit any team utilising a system with which a lone frontman is deployed. For all his selfishness, mind you, a return of 5 assists was also a notable tally. He’s clearly adept at bringing others into play when needs must, but Austin’s willingness to go for goal whenever possible is one of his best assets.
Some may perceive this to be a weakness, yet, given how disappointing QPR were last season, Austin’s need to take things upon himself to find a route to goal gave the west London side a much stronger chance of retaining their top-flight status.
However, for a new team, this facet of Austin’s game may have to be curbed to an extent, though not cut out completely. With ‘headed attempts’ and ‘finishing’ two statistically calculated WhoScored strengths of his, though, Austin’s natural goal getting ability means the number of potential suitors remain high. Perceived by some to be a “classic” number 9, his capability to barrel through opposition defensive lines would come as a benefit to a number of sides in England’s top tier.
While not quite good enough for the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal or Manchester United, Austin’s performances for QPR proved how he, among other relegated players, deserves to be given another shot in the Premier League. Furthermore, having already been selected for the England national team, the possibility of returning to the international setup would be boosted should he be playing in England’s top tier rather than the Championship.
Roy Hodgson is clearly aware of his ability having called him up to the squad for recent meetings with the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia and the natural progression would be for Austin to receive his first cap sooner rather than later. He stands a much better chance of that happening in the Premier League, especially with Euro 2016 less than 12 months away.
As things stands, Austin, though, remains a QPR player. Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have each been linked with a move for the Englishman and it wouldn't be wide of the mark to say he would be an upgrade on what the trio currently have at their disposal, factoring in Mitrovic’s inexperience and Benteke’s impending exit. Perhaps the only major surprise is that the list of potential suitors isn’t longer.
