Why Crystal Palace should take a gamble on Fabio Borini
As per TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t Birmingham Mail), Crystal Palace are interested in signing Hellas Verona star Fabio Borini ahead of the new campaign.
The report suggests that his contract with the Italian outfit is set to expire at the end of this month and he could leave on free. However, the Eagles will not be able to easily acquire the 29-year-old’s services as Aston Villa and Watford are also interested in signing the Italian.
Profile
Born in Italy, Borini started his journey with Bologna’s youth system before joining Chelsea’s U18 side. However, he could not make it beyond 8 appearances for the Blues and played for Parma and AS Roma before returning to England with Liverpool. At Anfield, he struggled to make it big and was sent on loan to Sunderland.
However, he was later sold to AC Milan, from where he left for Hellas Verona last January. Since joining them midway through the campaign, he made 14 appearances for the club and managed to rack up 3 goals. But his experience can be key should Roy Hodgson make a move for the Italian.
Borini could provide depth to Palace’s attack
One of the key reasons for Palace’s abysmal performance since the restart is the lack of consistency in front of goal. The main striker Jordan Ayew finished the campaign with just 9 goals while Christian Benteke failed to score a league goal this term.
Winger Wilfried Zaha also managed to score just 4 goals and the rest of them coming from the other areas. Hodgson’s men managed just 31 goals throughout the campaign, which was the second-lowest in the league. Thus, they need to bring in experienced attacking options in the summer.
In that regard, Borini would be a viable option for the club. Though the Italian may not have scored plenty of goals this season, his experience can play a key role next season. Moreover, Zaha is set to leave the club this summer and Borini can be used in his place on the left side of the attack.
The one-cap Italian international is capable of playing in various positions on the pitch and his versatility would allow the manager with various options to choose form. He can also be used as a substitute for Ayew through the middle. He has made 288 career appearances and has also spent time in England, which would help him settle to the conditions of the Premier League.
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Verdict
With Zaha likely to leave and Benteke completely out of form, Palace lack enough options upfront. This could trouble them in the next season if they don’t add depth to the squad. And Borini would provide them with some much-needed depth in their attack. Thus, they should attempt to lure the former Liverpool man to Selhurst Park this summer.
