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Southampton’s summer clear-out: Five players that should go

By Conor Dunford

VALENCIA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 07: Head coach Mauricio Pellegrino of Valencia looks on from the bench during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Valencia CF and FC BATE Borisov at Estadi de Mestalla on November 7, 2012 in Valencia, Spain. Valencia won 4-2. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
VALENCIA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 07: Head coach Mauricio Pellegrino of Valencia looks on from the bench during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Valencia CF and FC BATE Borisov at Estadi de Mestalla on November 7, 2012 in Valencia, Spain. Valencia won 4-2. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images) /
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MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND – MAY 13: Charlie Austin of Southampton arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Middlesbrough and Southampton at Riverside Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND – MAY 13: Charlie Austin of Southampton arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Middlesbrough and Southampton at Riverside Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) /

Charlie Austin

I am going to start off with something that is probably going cause me to receive a fair amount of grief. Charlie Austin came in at a cool £4 million and scored a winner at Old Trafford on his debut, fee repaid right?

Last season, Austin started off scoring six goals before injury kept him out for several months. Since then, Manolo Gabbiadini has been brought in, who has excited fans and performed magnificently over the second half of the season.

My reasons moving Austin on are as follows, likely to be a high earner in the squad, his position on the pitch is far from guaranteed. Gabbiadini will be the undisputed starter in a system that is likely to cater for just one striker. The latter is a more intelligent runner off the ball, has proved his finishing prowess since joining Southampton and arguably works harder than Charlie.

Coming off the bench, for me, Shane Long is a better option. Long may not have the goal-scoring ability Austin has, but his work ethic and pace is a threat to anyone and is also something that gets the fans onside, something Pellegrino will be keen to do after last season.

By no means a poor player, Austin probably deserves to play for a club where he is the main man up top, at Southampton, I feel he won’t be.