Austin´s Hull City move collapses

Hull City manager Steve Bruce has confirmed that the club’s move for Burnley striker Charlie Austin has collapsed due to a failed medical.

Newly promoted Hull have been chasing the services of Austin since they were promoted to the Premier League on the final day of the 2012-13 Championship campaign.

The 24-year-old scored 27 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions for Burnley last term and Hull were reported to have been successful with a £4.5 million bid for the forward last week.

But Austin, who has dislocated his shoulder three times in his career, failed a medical on Monday, Bruce has conceded.

He told talkSPORT: “There has been a bit of a problem with his medical, which is the worst scenario for everyone concerned.

“It’s an awful situation we find ourselves in but the medical is not great so it looks as if it is a non-starter at the moment. It’s a blow for him and a blow for us. We’ll go back to the drawing board again.

“I would expect us to bring in two or three to give us a hand, there was a lot of work done with Charlie but it looks like it’s not going to be.”

If the deal had gone through, Austin would have been the second-most expensive signing in Hull’s history, only behind midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who joined from Fulham for £5m in 2009.

Austin has scored at least 15 goals in his four seasons as a professional since joining Swindon Town from non-league Poole Town in 2009.

Hull will now have to switch their attention in their chase for a striker, with the club recently linked with a move for Celtic striker Gary Hooper.