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Sunderland have been heavily linked with Italian strikers this week, with Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri of Juventus being strongly linked in the Italian press. Our previous interest in Lorenzo Insigne has also been mentioned again this week, although that is thought to have ended when we signed Emanuele Giaccherini.
However it's a name that we've not been linked with previously that Italian press reports today suggest we have made an offer for, in the shape of Lazio's Sergio Floccari.
According to the reports Sunderland have made an offer of €3m for the 31-year-old and with his contract expiring in 2014 it's believed Lazio would be willing to sell to avoid him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season. The deal is at an advanced stage according to the reports, with Floccari's agent, Claudio Vigorelli, having already been in contact with the club after travelling to Wearside. It's thought Lazio want more than the €3m offered though, with €5m being the suggested selling price.
It's hard to tell at this stage whether Floccari, who has had an average career so far, would be an alternative to Quagliarella or Matri, or whether Bolton's reported interested in a loan deal for Connor Wickham has made the club look for experienced cover before sanctioning any loan move for the England u-21 star.
Either way, stay tuned to Roker Report for developments and I'll leave you with the obligatory YouTube video.