SAFC Exit Watch: Sunderland 26 yr old named on a three-man hit list for Serie A strugglers

Fresh reports in Italy claim Sunderland forward Fabio Borini is a target for Serie A outfit Bologna.

The 26-year-old Italian has had a dreadful season at relegated Sunderland with just two goals in twenty-three appearances. Widely panned for his performances, Borini is expected to leave the Stadium of Light this summer and has been widely linked with Celtic in recent weeks.

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And he can do so for a relatively modest fee of £6m according to David Moyes. The Sunderland boss revealed last week that Borini can leave for just over half the fee the Black Cats agreed to pay for him in the summer of 2015 due to a clause in his contract activated on relegation.

Borini was finally signed on a permanent basis when Dick Advocaat was boss at the Stadium of Light two years ago. Following a successful loan spell in 2013/14 the Italian landed for an initial fee of £7.75m rising to £10m with add-ons.

Borini rose through the youth system at Bologna but never made a senior appearance at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. He was snapped up from Italy by Chelsea a decade ago as a 16-year-old and it was at Stamford Bridge where he worked with current Swansea boss Paul Clement with the pair reuniting for a chat at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

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Whilst at Chelsea, Borini then had loan spells at Swansea City and Parma before joining Liverpool as Brendan Rodgers first signing in 2012.

Injuries hampered his first year at Anfield but Borini became a fan favourite on Wearside after joining on loan in 2013 with some memorable goals including crucial strikes against Newcastle.

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Borini then returned to Liverpool in a bid to establish himself on Merseyside before a lengthy pursuit by Sunderland saw him land back at the Stadium of Light in 2015.

Utilised as a wide man by successive managers, Sam Allardyce and David Moyes, Borini has cut an increasingly frustrated figure in a red-and-white shirt. This season has been a particularly disappointing one for the former Italian Under-21 international who has one senior cap for his country.

Borini picked up an injury at the start of the campaign and subsequently missed nearly three months of the season under David Moyes. Since his return, he has featured in a variety of positions up-front or out-wide on the left and the right flanks.

Italian outlet CalcioNews24 are the ones with the fresh link to Bologna and claim Borini is on a three-man hitlist for the club who are set to finish the season in the bottom six of Serie A.

The report claims Bologna are also pondering a move for M'Bala Nzola who plays for Italian third-tier outfit Virtus Francavilla or Dario Benedetto of Argentian side Boca Juniors.

A mighty list. Fabio Borini - how the mighty have fallen.