Reports: Sunderland In Fresh Striker Link

Reports out of Italy last night, suggest Sunderland have made a loan move for Italian striker Roberto Acquafresca.

According to Italian football expert, Gianluca Di Marzio, who was speaking on Sky Italia, Sunderland have approached Bologna over the possibility of loaning Acquafresca with a view to a permanent move.

Acquafresca rose to prominence in 2009 when he finished as the joint second top scorer, along with Ola Toivonen, with 3 goals in the European u-21 Championships. He was expected to have a bright career but he has so far failed to hit the heights many predicted for him.

With various loan spells, as well as being involved in swap deals and co-ownership deals, his career has become very stop-start.

He joined his current club Bologna in July 2011 on loan from Genoa and after a relatively successful season the move was made permanent for a fee of around €2.5m. However after failing to find the net in their first 7 games of 12/13, he suffered an injury and was out until the new year, at which point he was loaned to La Liga side Levante but again struggled, with only 3 goals before the end of the season.

With Sunderland's squad overhaul rumoured to be so comprehensive that all of Sessegnon, Graham, Ji and Wickham have been mentioned as possible outgoings, that would leave, a currently injured, Steven Fletcher as our only senior striker.

So although Acquafresca is unlikely to set the pulses racing, he could be a cost effective way of adding strength in depth and if he can recapture the form from his earlier career, it could be a shrewd move.