Charlie Austin's future remains up in the air with him still out in the cold at West Bromwich Albion and it appears his next chapter still lies away from the Hawthorns.

As per a report from The Athletic, the former QPR striker will not be called upon by manager Slaven Bilic, even though the Baggies currently need goals to get themselves up the Premier League table and away from the relegation zone.

That said, then, this story could well be of interest to Derby County, who have recently seen manager Phillip Cocu depart.

Indeed, as per Derbyshire Live, among other publications, the Rams were interested in the forward back in the last transfer window and, with them still in need of a striker, this news may well pique their interest again.

The Verdict

Austin is a good striker with a natural eye for goal and it seems a little odd that Albion manager Bilic isn't willing to give him a sniff when it comes to trying to help them get up the Premier League table.

Several sides would surely benefit from getting Austin in, then, and Derby were interested in the last window so this news that he's still likely available should surely intrigue them still.