Sunderland Transfers: 5 Reasons Fabio Borini Is Worth £14m

3. His Versatility

Despite attending every Sunderland game last season, I still cannot fathom which position suits Fabio best, or indeed which position the Italian played the majority of his games in, yet I am certain that wherever he played, he was one of the best players on the pitch. In his early days under a multitude of managers (it is worth considering that his first four games for Sunderland were under the stewardship of three different bosses), Borini was consigned to the left wing, usually as an impact sub from the bench, with his strong running and never-say-die attitude giving defenders an extra headache in the dying embers of the game. Yet, after only a month in the job, Poyet moved him further forward, introducing him as a striker for the first time against Aston Villa away in November, and from then onwards the Italian has been a mainstay in the first team. Equally at home on the right wing, Borini is probably best employed just behind the main striker, as his well taken volley against West Brom in April, highlighted, making a perfectly timed late run to beat the offside trap and fire home. Certainly, for £14m, Gus Poyet is getting both an attacking midfielder and striker who is at home in either position, and can guarantee a performance in almost every game.