Former Sunderland midfielder Don Hutchison has urged manager Gus Poyet to look for alternative options to Fabio Borini.
The Italian spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light, where he scored a number of important goals as the Black Cats retained their Premier League status, as well as reaching the final of the League Cup.
He has since returned to his parent club Liverpool, who have reportedly demanded £14m from Sunderland to make the 23-year-old's switch to Wearside a permanent one.
However, Hutchison believes that for that sort of money, Poyet could sign someone "a bit better" than Borini.
"[Borini is] a good player and he made a big difference for Sunderland in some really big matches last season, but I look at the valuation that Liverpool have attached to him and I'm really not sure about it," the Scot wrote in the Sunderland Journal.
"£14m is a lot of money to spend, and I think if the move doesn't go through Sunderland will have dodged a bit of a bullet.
"Borini can play to the left of a striker or to the right, and he will probably go on to get you double figures next season - just. I don't think he's a really prolific striker who Gus Poyet can hang his hat on, and for £14m Sunderland might be asking themselves whether they can get a bit better."
Borini scored 10 goals in all competitions for Sunderland last term.
Liam Apicella
