Charlie Austin is the striker that every club seems to want - and who can blame them? 18 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions is a good return in your debut season, not to mention doing so in a struggling QPR side. It may be a difficult task to persuade the ex-Burnley striker. Newcastle, Leicester City and Crystal Palace have all expressed an interest but according to the Independent, Tim Sherwood could be in pole position to land the QPR forward due to his friendship with Les Ferdinand, QPR's director of football. The Hoops are confident they can get £15 million for Austin but the striker recently expressed concerns that a high price-tag would discourage potential suitors. With the newly-acquired Benteke money, however, Sherwood may well be prepared to pay a premium for Austin. £32 million could buy you a top-class forward but it's unlikely Villa will use those funds on one player. Benteke has practically carried the Villa team for three seasons and replacing him is a difficult task for the scouting department. As we've seen in this feature there are certainly a lot of options for Sherwood to consider. Choosing the right player could be pivotal in his first full season in charge - and it could be the difference between Premier League safety and relegation.
