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Over the summer, Fabio Borini completing a move away from Anfield seemed only a matter of time. There was interest from both Sunderland and QPR in brining him on permanently, and in both cases it appeared generous offers had been made. And in both cases, Borini showed zero interest in completing a deal done and moving on.
Whether he was truly determined to stick it out and prove his worth at Liverpool or simply wanted a better landing spot than relegation-threatened Sunderland or the chaotic mess of QPR if he left was a point of debate amongst Liverpool fans. It was never satisfactorily answered, and in the end it was a moot point anyhow, as the window closed with him still a Liverpool player.
Now, though, Inter Milan have confirmed that they too were interested in Borini over the summer, though in their case it appears that Liverpool's asking price may have stopped them reaching the point where they might have tested Borini's Anfield resolve. That might change in January, though, with the Italian press convinced he is the Serie A club's top attacking target.
"It's early, and we'll review and reevaluate our options in December," said Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio when he was asked this week about their rumoured interest in the 23-year-old striker. "I like Borini, but Liverpool were asking too much. We made an attempt in the summer, but we moved on to Osvaldo, who was Mazzarri's first choice."
If they do revive their interest, it's far from clear if Liverpool would lower their asking price to satisfy the Italian side. It's also far from clear if Borini would want give up on making a mark in the Premier League to head back to Italy given he's spent most of his career in England—and when despite their history, Inter would likely offer him lower wages than even a poor English side.
Inter might well have history and name recognition on their side, but it's telling that both Sunderland and QPR were able to offer Liverpool a fee in the £12-14M range while Inter were scared off by it and had to fall back on loaning a player from Southampton. Still, if Borini remains out of favour come January, Inter's interest could make them the obvious destination.
