Aston Villa were rather active in the transfer window last summer but they must ensure similar mistakes aren’t repeated a second time…
What’s the word?
According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Midlands outfit are plotting a move for soon-to-be free-agent Fabio Borini with his contract set to expire at Hellas Verona this month.
It’s claimed that the 29-year-old forward could still be offered fresh terms in the Serie A but he’s not short of offers elsewhere, one of which being Villa and the other being recently relegated Watford.
His former Milan head coach Marco Giampaolo is also keen to bring him to Torino.
No stranger to Villa Park
It’s no secret that Dean Smith’s frontline is one of the weakest departments across the squad and in part, that has been down to the poor recruitment at the hands of Suso in recent windows.
Borini is able to play pretty much anywhere in attack which could prove valuable depending on the futures of skipper Jack Grealish and Trezeguet.
Those at Villa Park should know him well after he terrorised Paul Lambert’s side back in 2015 for Liverpool. He was deployed as a number nine and it paid off when he poked home a cross from Jordan Henderson.
Brendan Rodgers had praised him earlier in that season for being “outstanding,” claiming that “his pace, movement and work-rate” gives teams problems.
However, his overall record in English football is quite appalling – he’s scored just 16 goals in the Premier League from 111 appearances, via Transfermarkt.
Given that the club have been mooted with moves for hugely impressive Brentford duo Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins, signing Borini wreaks of past mistakes and surely isn’t the way Johan Lange wants to start his era at Villa Park.
AND in other news, Lange can right Suso’s transfer wrongs with £40m swoop…