It’s the summer of 2012 and there is change in the air at Anfield.
Liverpool have just parted company with, arguably, the club’s greatest figure in Sir Kenny Dalglish from his second stint as manager. In his place they bring in Brendan Rodgers from Swansea City, fresh from his first season as a manager in the Premier League.
The previous season saw Liverpool reach both the League Cup and FA Cup final, winning the former but coming up short in the latter to Chelsea. Rodgers had a task of rebuilding the club and he wasted no time in getting to work.
His first signing as Reds boss was to bring in Fabio Borini from Roma. The Italian striker arrived in a deal worth £11million and he put pen to paper on a long-term contract.
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Today marks the 31st birthday of the former Liverpool forward. Then at the age of 21, Borini arrived at Anfield with a lot of promise. Rodgers had the same expectations for the young striker, having worked with him during his time at Swansea.
"I'd anticipate that over the next two or three years he'll really progress and I'm sure do very well for Liverpool,” Rodgers told the club’s website back in 2012. "Fabio fits the model of what we're trying to do in building not only for now, but also for the future.
"He's a big talent, 21 years of age, he scores goals, and his passion, focus and concentration is a very important part of his game - and a big part of what you want from a player."
Borini’s debut came in a Europa League qualifier away at Belarusian club FK Gomel. He played the full 90 minutes as Stewart Downing scored the only goal in a 1-0 win.
The return leg at Anfield, which Liverpool won 3-0 saw Borini score his first goal for the Reds. However, it turned out to be the first of just three goals for the Merseyside club.
A loan move to Sunderland came after just a single season at Liverpool. A permanent move for £14m was on the cards in 2014, but a deal never got over the line.
Finally, in 2015, Borini’s time at Liverpool came to an end with a £10m move to Sunderland. He ended his time at Anfield with three goals in 38 appearances.
Borini lasted just three years at Sunderland, only two actually at the Stadium of Light, before he moved to AC Milan in 2018. He had spent the previous season on loan with the Serie A giants.
The striker’s career never managed to go in the path that his young promise projected. After leaving Milan in 2020 to sign for Hellas Verona, he was without a club for several months as a free agent.
Finally, in January 2021, Borini signed for Turkish club Fatih Karagumruk. He has scored 14 goals in 38 appearances for the Super Lig club, a decent return for the forward who lacked the ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis during his time as a Liverpool player.
But his purchase was an early lesson for owners FSG in the true value of transfer market dealings, as the club moved towards a recruitment structure which has rarely missed in recent years.
