Former Sunderland striker Fabio Borini, twice linked with Newcastle, looks set to leave Milan in January, and despite interest from Italian clubs, the player would prefer to return to England.
Calciomercato.com reports Crystal Palace are interested in bringing Borini to the Premier League, with Genoa and Torino hoping they can persuade him to stay in his native country.
Newcastle were reportedly interested in a deal for Borini in the January transfer window last season, and that talk resurfaced in the summer.
Steve Bruce is said to be hoping to sign a striker in the upcoming trading period, but whether he would be interested in a move for the former Black Cat remains to be seen.
Borini has only made two appearances for Milan this season, and has not played 90 minutes in either game. He played 20 Serie A games last season, starting in Just 10 of them, following his switch from the Stadium Of Light in summer 2018.
Borini could be available on loan which would suit Bruce
If Bruce was to declare an interest, Milan are reportedly likely to make the Italian forward available on an initial loan deal, with an option to buy, according to the report.
With Bruce likely to rely on temporary deals in January, he could offer him an interesting opportunity to increase his options up front, without having to fork out a huge chunk of any available transfer kitty.
Whether fans would be keen to see a striker from their local rival arrive, is another question, but of course, other players on Newcastle’s books have made a similar switch, such as DeAndre Yedlin, Jack Colback and Javier Manquillo.
While the latter two have not made much of an impact, each of the three were given a warm welcome, and their former allegiance to the Wearside club was never held against them.
It will be interesting to see if Bruce does bring in competition in the forward areas, particularly given their lack of goals, and if he does, Borini – still only 28 – playing with a point to prove, could be a shrewd signing for Newcastle.
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