For Southampton and manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, transfer deadline day probably did not go the way they would have liked.
The south coast club had hoped to sign Birmingham City striker Che Adams, according to Sky Sports, which would have triggered the permanent sale of Charlie Austin.
But with the Saints unable to get a deal over the line for Adams, Austin is now set to remain at St. Mary’s until at least the end of the season and fight for a first-team place.
With all of that in mind, how do the two English No.9s compare?
Che Adams
Adams is having the best season of his professional career so far, sitting near the top of the Championship goal-scoring charts after finding the back of the net on 16 occasions (via BBC Sport).
Those goals have taken Birmingham to eighth in the table, showing why the Midlands club were so desperate to keep hold of their talisman who would have brought so much to Southampton.
With his pace and acceleration, Adams seemed the perfect fit for this Saints side who, under their new boss Hasenhuttl, constantly look to counter-attack and attack the spaces.
Southampton could yet go back in for Adams in the summer, but things still feel like an opportunity missed for the club.
And, should the 22-year-old maintain his goal-scoring form, the Saints may also find themselves facing a lot of competition for his signature.
TT Grade: B
Charlie Austin
While Austin may not be as quick as Adams and is a player Southampton seemed open to letting go, the 29-year-old is still an individual who can offer Hasenhuttl a lot in the remaining part of this season.
Austin has already shown his usefulness to Hasenhuttl after he netted the winner against Arsenal in a 3-2 Premier League victory at St. Mary’s back in December, while his goal-scoring record as a whole is pretty impressive considering his constant battles with injuries.
Since winning all three points for his side in that clash versus Arsenal, though, the former Queens Park Rangers man has gone on to contribute little.
However, caught up in a relegation battle, Southampton need all the goals they can get. And, on his day, that is something Austin is certainly capable of providing.
TT Grade: B-
TT Verdict:
It is not the end of the world for Southampton after missing out on Adams, especially when they have someone like Austin who can come in and give Hasenhuttl another option up front.
But, at 29 and with his contract up in the summer of 2020, the Saints could have ended up playing a blinder by ditching Austin for Adams, who had the potential to be the perfect upgrade during the January transfer window.
