Report: Ralph Hasenhuttl opens the door for Charlie Austin’s Southampton exit

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Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has admitted that Charlie Austin might be forced to leave the club, The Mirror reports.

Hasenhuttl cannot give Austin first-team guarantees and this could mean his future lies away from Southampton.

The striker has only played 13 games since Hasenhuttl took over in early December. And only fives of those have been Premier League starts.

Austin has scored three times this season but Hasenhuttl would be willing to let him leave for first-team football elsewhere.

As reported by The Mirror, Hasenhuttl said: “Charlie is very clear on the situation that in the summer he must find another option where he plays more often.

“It depends how much he wants to play. 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 and not play.

“If he comes to me and says, ‘Manager it was very nice to help you, it was very nice to be successful with your team, but I want to play more minutes and that’s why I want to leave.’ I’m the last guy who says you cannot.”

Austin has been with Southampton since his January 2016 move from QPR. But after 20 goals for the south coast club, it looks like he might be on his way out.