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There’s a new suitor for Fabio Borini. At least if the rumour mongers are to be believed. Liverpool’s long and at times frustrating pursuit of Christian Benteke is finally over, but the story is that the Reds could be set to deal Borini to Aston Villa this week, a deal that would allow them to recoup at least some of their £32.5M outlay on the big Belgian.
Of course, even if the rumour is true in as much as Villa might be interested in the player, and even if it’s likely Liverpool would accept just about any bid for the striker at this point, it's a hard rumour to put any real stock in. Mainly because of Borini himself, who has so far priced himself out of every move that has come his way and increasingly appears set for another season on loan or in the reserves.
Borini’s wage demands have already scared off Sunderland, QPR, West Ham, and Lazio. That the fans know of. Meanwhile, his season on loan with Sunderland, where he was named young player of the season, is increasingly a distant memory for the now 24-year-old Italian-born striker who appears more interested in earning his Liverpool wage packet than having something resembling a career.
Last season, his determination to stick with the Reds could almost be seen as commendable in the right light. A little stubborn, perhaps, but here was a player determined to make things work at the club that had brought him back to England a few seasons earlier. This time around, with it clear he will not be given playing time at Anfield, it is increasingly difficult to put a positive spin on things.
It is of course Borini’s right to hold on to the wages he’s getting at Liverpool—for the next two seasons if he wants, as his deal runs through 2017—yet doing so risks having no career left by the time he’s out of contract and has no choice but to move on. For a player who should be in the prime of his career, it seems an odd approach. Still, if Villa are interested, Liverpool would surely welcome them trying for Borini.
Even if the likeliest outcome is that in a week or two word leaks out yet another club has been put off Borini by the player’s wage demands.
