A report from Italy is claiming that an unnamed Major League Soccer team is chasing Genoa striker Marco Borriello.
The 32-year-old forward is out of contract at the end of the current Serie A season but in recent weeks he has impressed as Genoa continues to battle for a Europa League spot.
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Borriello has had spells at AC Milan and AS Roma during his career but GianlucaDimarzio.com reports that Borriello is wanted by an MLS side. The player himself is said to prefer another deal with the Rossoblu but given the success and level of interest in Italian players heading to MLS in recent seasons -- Alessandro Nesta, Matteo Ferrari, Sebastian Giovinco, we are looking at you -- then perhaps this report isn’t too far off the mark.
So, what is Borriello all about?
He is good in the air, can bring others into play with his physical frame and has a peach of a left foot. The striker doesn’t just score goals but also has an eye for a pass in and around the box. That all sounds good, right?
Looking at his playing resume, Borriello has had three spells at Genoa, was on loan at West Ham United last season and has played for nine different team in Italy during his career. The Napoli born forward has also made seven appearances for the Italian national team but didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet for the Azzurri after being part of their squad at the 2008 European Championships. Borriello has played for AC Milan, Roma and Juve throughout his career and has scored 42 goals in 99 appearances. That’s a pretty decent strike rate of nearly a goal every other game. But, to have played only 99 times during a 13-year career tells you that he hasn’t been short of a few injuries.
Which team in MLS could do with a target forward? Right now I look at the likes of the Philadelphia Union, Orlando City and the Montreal Impact as teams who need offensive reinforcements. It will be intriguing to see if Borriello heads Stateside this summer and where he might end up. Keep an eye on this one.