Having already signed 10 players this summer, Bristol City boss Lee Johnson may be about to bolster his squad once more on transfer deadline day.

According to Football Insider, the Robins are plotting a late move to bring Charlie Austin to Ashton Gate on a season-long loan deal from Southampton.

The news comes amid fears that target Eddie Nketiah could be about to opt for a switch to Leeds United after initially being earmarked for a spell at Bristol City earlier this week.

Austin, who featured on 25 occasions last season for Southampton in the Premier League, was reportedly told he can leave the club this summer in June and has previously been the subject of considerable interest from Crystal Palace and Aston Villa (via The Sun).

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Although the forward only managed to find the back of the net on three occasions during the previous campaign, his Championship goal-scoring record is mightily impressive.

In 129 games at this particular level of football, Austin has fired in a total of 66 goals.

The Verdict

If Bristol City can bring in Austin from Southampton, it would be the icing on the cake for what has been a tremendous summer of recruitment by Johnson.

After clinching eye-catching deals for the likes of Tomas Kalas, Kasey Palmer, Jay Dasilva and Daniel Bentley, the Robins could take their attacking options to new heights by securing the services of a player who knows exactly what it takes to produce the goods in the Championship.

Whereas Johnson already has Famara Diedhiou, Jamie Patterson and Matty Taylor at his disposal for the 2019/20 season, by drafting in some adding competition up-front in the form of Austin, he could reap the benefits over the next nine months.

Having missed out on the play-offs last season, the Robins will be determined to go one better by challenging for a top-six finish this year and thus signing the Saints forward could very well allow them to achieve this goal.