Charlie Austin joins Southampton from QPR in £4m transfer

Charlie Austin joins Southampton from QPR in £4m transfer

• QPR lose 26-year-old for cut-price fee to Premier League side
• Austin scored 18 goals last season in English top flight


The Southampton club shop wastes little time after the signing of Charlie Austin.

Southampton have completed the signing of QPR striker Charlie Austin in a cut-price £4m deal.

The 26-year-old was one of the stars of last season, but his 18-goal haul in his maiden top-flight season was not enough to help the west London club retain their Premier League status.

Austin had been widely expected to leave Loftus Road at the end of last season, but remained after QPR stood firm on their £15m valuation of the forward, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season. However, QPR this week accepted what is understood to be a £4m fee for the striker, which was announced by the south coast club on Saturday lunchtime.

Austin, who was called up by England for the first time at the end of last season, has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at St Mary’s. “I’m delighted to have got it over the line so soon into January,” he said. “I can’t wait to get started now.

“As soon as Southampton showed an interest, that was the one club I wanted to go to. You see the progression from when I was playing against Southampton for Swindon. For me, it was important to come to a club that’s on the up and that’s what I’ve got here.

“I think the last five years have shown the ambition the club has and I just want to be part of that now. I’m delighted to join forces and hopefully bring my quality into a team with a lot of quality players already here. I can’t wait to meet the lads and show them what I can do on the pitch.”

Austin, a former bricklayer, has only been in the professional game since 2009, when his fine form with Wessex League part-timers Poole Town earned a move to Swindon. The striker continued to find the net and moved on to Burnley before then joining QPR, where he became a fans’ favourite with 48 goals in 89 appearances.


Austin, who has been out for the past month with a hamstring complaint, has scored 10 goals in 16 appearances this term and leaves Loftus Road with the QPR director of football Les Ferdinand’s best wishes. “It’s no secret that Charlie is out of contract in the summer so this is a decision made in the best financial interests of the club,” he said.

“Charlie has had a significant impact on this football club in his time here and we are hugely grateful to him for his contribution during his spell with us. Whilst we are sorry to lose Charlie, once he expressed an interest in moving to Southampton, we could not stand in his way.”