Newcastle United are keen to make a move for former Sunderland striker Fabio Borini, who is currently out-of-favour with Serie A giants AC Milan.
The Italian striker initially swapped Sunderland for Milan on loan in 2017, before Milan opted to make his deal permanent last summer. However, he has struggled to impress and has often found himself out of the starting 11.
The latest news of Newcastle's interest in Borini comes from Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, who state that manager Rafa Benitez is keen to forget about the local rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland as he prepares an offer of around £10m for the striker.
The two clubs have historically been fierce rivals as a result of their geographical location, but many players have represented both teams throughout their careers. The likes of Patrick van Aanholt, Louis Saha and Andy Cole have featured for both sides, whilst current Newcastle stars DeAndre Yedlin, Ki Sung-yueng and Javier Manquillo have also played for Sunderland.
There is also said to be interest in Borini from teams in the Chinese Super League, and Milan are thought to be keen to authorise the sale of the 27-year-old as they seek to rejuvenate their squad.
Borini has made 11 appearances for the club this season, but has just one goal and one assist to his name. He has started just three Serie A matches this season and has not been included in Milan's matchday squad for the side's last three matches.
Milan find themselves facing sanctions from UEFA after breaching their Financial Fair Play regulations. They must improve their financial situation by 2021, or they risk expulsion from European competition in the near future.
As a result, they may opt to sell several of their fringe players in an attempt to raise some quick funds, and Borini could be a likely candidate for a January departure.
Source : 90min