Breaking News! Southampton Completes Signing of £4m QPR Striker Charlie Austin

ByJamie Spencer

​Southampton have completed their first signing of the January transfer window in the shape of Charlie Austin, who arrives at St Mary's from Queens Park Rangers after agreeing a four and a half year contract and passing a medical.


The fee between the two clubs, while officially undisclosed, is believed to be around £4m and is just a fraction of the £15m that QPR wanted for the player during the summer.
Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth had all been linked with approaches for Austin, who had been due to become a free agent upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season, but now he is confirmed as a Saints player instead.

The 26-year-old former non-league star and ex-bricklayer took the Premier League by storm in his only top flight season to date. His 18 goals were not enough to keep QPR in the division, but many were surprised when he dropped back into the Championship without moving on.

Although he's suffered from a few injuries, Austin has maintained his fine form in the second tier in 2015/16. He hasn't actually played since mid-December, but has managed nine goals in just 10 starts and 10 goals in 16 overall Championship appearances.

Austin will provide competition for current forwards Graziano Pelle and Shane Long at St Mary's, while adding depth to the squad with Jay Rodriguez still battling fitness problems.

The knee ligament issue that caused him to fail a medical at West Ham in the summer appears not to have been a problem. It's perhaps also worth noting he failed a medical at Hull in 2013.