Saints may have to remain patient in their bid to sell Charlie Austin.

The club have made it clear to the 30-year-old that he doesn’t figure in manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans for next season.

Reports suggest the striker reacted angrily to the news and, as previously reported by the Daily Echo, he is currently being kept away from the first team squad.

There has been interest in Austin, but it is believed the player wants a move to another Premier League club. Given Austin’s age he will be aware that this is likely to be the last major transfer of his career.

However, Saints have yet to receive any offers for Austin from Premier League sides.

Championship promotion hopefuls West Brom did show an interest but it is understood that Austin rejected the idea of a move to the Baggies.

Newly promoted duo Aston Villa and Sheffield United have both expressed an interest but are yet to submit bids for Austin.

There have been fresh reports that Newcastle could attempt to add Austin to their squad as new manager Steve Bruce looks for cost effective ways to freshen up his strike force.

But the Magpies are in talks with Hoffenheim over a possible club record £36m move for their striker Joelinton.

Saints might have to wait until nearer the end of the window to move Austin on.

All of the current possible Premier League suitors look to have their sights trained elsewhere for the time being, with Austin appearing to be a back-up option.

Given he would be available for a comparatively low fee and clubs know he is available and willing to move, they may be viewing Austin as a potential insurance policy if other moves don’t come off.

There is also the chance that faced with the possibility of staying with Saints and being frozen out of the first team picture Austin may consider a Championship move towards the end of the window.

It is not an ideal situation for Saints.

They would prefer to sell Austin as soon as possible.

Not only is he an experienced and vocal senior player who is having to deal with being kept out of the first team picture but they could also use the money his sale would generate, and the wages a move would free up, to secure more new faces for Hasenhuttl.

In a summer where moving players on is as important as making new signings, the club have so far only managed to sell two squad members, while also recruiting two.

They remain committed to bringing in more players for Hasenhuttl but will struggle to make any financially significant transfers unless they can shift players on.

However, with the likes of Charlie Austin and Mario Lemina on significant wages, there is little incentive for them to take a drastic pay cut. That is especially the case for Austin who would be signing the final big contract of his career.