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Forget it Bruce – Newcastle signing this proven PL goalscoring star would be nothing but a panic move

Newcastle United opinion: Charlie Austin would just be a panic buy

According to the Daily Star, Newcastle United have lined up Southampton striker Charlie Austin as a potential target for the summer transfer window, with new manager Steve Bruce looking to add to his attacking options ahead of the upcoming season. 

The fans at Tyneside are still gutted at Rafael Benitez’s departure to China but the Magpies have taken steps towards steadying the ship with the appointment of Steve Bruce, who left Sheffield Wednesday to take up the vacant managerial role at St. James’ Park.

Interestingly, the new manager is not keen to waste any time in getting down to business in the transfer window, with Newcastle United reportedly edging closer to the club-record £36million acquisition of Brazilian forward Joelinton from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim. (h/t Daily Star)

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Joelinton is not the only striker to have been linked with a move to the north-east of England, though, with the Magpies also believed to be weighing up a deal for Southampton forward Charlie Austin, who has been deemed surplus to demands on the south coast. (h/t Daily Star)

Newcastle have plenty of problems to sort out this summer, with question marks over the future of several of the first-team stars, whilst the Magpies also have a massive job on their hands to plug the gaps left by the departure of Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez up front.

Perez joined Leicester City earlier in the month, while Rondon is back at his parent club West Brom and the Venezuelan is understood to be keen to reunite with Benitez at Chinese side Dalian Yifang.

Plus, Newcastle have also offloaded Joselu to Spanish side Alaves, leaving Bruce with Yoshinori Muto as the sole striking option in his ranks. 

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Well, as things stand, Newcastle United are in danger of getting dragged into a relegation dogfight next term should they fail to bring in quality replacements for the strikers who have left the club this summer.

As a matter of fact, things might get worse for them if the departures of Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff are confirmed in the coming weeks, with Mo Diame already out of the frame. 

To put things into perspective, it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out that Newcastle are currently in a precarious situation following the departure of several key players besides former manager Rafael Benitez.

Charlie Austin looks like a big name on paper, given his previous exploits in the Premier League over the years, but the main question is – would he be a sort of a panic buy for Steve Bruce?

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Indeed, that is exactly what comes to the mind when you look at what the 29-year-old has achieved at Southampton over the past two seasons.

Austin started only 11 games in the Premier League for the Saints the last term and netted only twice in 25 appearances, as the veteran slipped down the pecking order following the arrival of Ralph Hasenhuttl. 

Austin joined Southampton from QPR on the back of an impressive scoring record of 47 goals in 89 games but he has failed to live up to the expectations at St. Mary’s, accumulating only 20 goals in 81 appearances and failing to cement a regular starting role at the club.

It is no surprise that the Saints are keen to get him off their books this summer to recoup the money and fund reinvestment. 

The 29-year-old’s career has gone off the boil in recent times and Newcastle need to understand that signing a striker who has failed to hit top gear over the past few seasons would be a risky proposition, particularly due to the fact that Austin would be coming in as a replacement for Rondon. 

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Austin might still have a few good seasons left in his tank but the Magpies would be better off shifting their focus to other targets in the transfer window. 

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Conclusion

Taking for granted that Newcastle manage to get a deal for Joelinton over the line, the Magpies would still need an in-form natural finisher in their ranks, given that the Brazilian isn’t an out-and-out centre-forward and Muto is unlikely to play a big role. 

Keeping that in mind, Steve Bruce should take his time, weigh up his options and avoid panic buying his way out of the impending crisis.