Former Sunderland striker Fabio Borini has signed a new deal, extending his stay with Salford City
Former Sunderland forward Fabio Borini has committed his future to Salford City after agreeing a contract extension that will keep him at the League Two club until the end of the 2025-26 season.
The Italian attacker, now 34, has become an increasingly influential figure at the Peninsula Stadium since arriving in October and has done enough to earn fresh terms. Borini has made 14 appearances in all competitions for Salford so far, finding the net in key moments, including the club’s FA Cup penalty shoot-out victory over Lincoln City and a landmark 4-0 win against Leyton Orient, the biggest result in Salford’s history in the competition.
Borini’s extension represents another chapter in a long and varied career that has taken him across England and Europe, but his name remains particularly familiar on Wearside. Borini first arrived at Sunderland in September 2013 on a season-long loan from Liverpool. He made his debut as a substitute against Arsenal before being handed a first start away at West Bromwich Albion in a match that proved to be Paolo Di Canio’s final game in charge. Despite the upheaval around the club, Borini quickly established himself as a key figure under successive managers.
One of his earliest defining moments came in the League Cup, where he scored a dramatic late equaliser against Chelsea before setting up the winning goal in extra time. That competition would go on to define his first season on Wearside. In January 2014, Borini converted a penalty in a 2-1 semi-final first-leg win over Manchester United at the Stadium of Light, before opening the scoring at Wembley in the final against Manchester City.
Borini’s impact was not limited to cup football. During Sunderland’s battle for Premier League survival in the 2013-14 season, he delivered several crucial goals, none more notable than the winner away at Chelsea in April. That strike handed José Mourinho his first home league defeat as Chelsea manager and played a significant role in keeping Sunderland afloat. Borini followed that up with further goals against Cardiff City, West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City, earning the club’s Young Player of the Year award in the process.
After returning briefly to Liverpool, Borini rejected a permanent move back to Sunderland in the summer of 2014, opting instead to try and force his way into Brendan Rodgers’ plans at Anfield. He would go on to make sporadic appearances for Liverpool before Sunderland reignited their interest a year later. In August 2015, Borini returned to Wearside on a permanent deal, signing a four-year contract. While injuries and fitness issues disrupted parts of his second spell, he again delivered in defining moments. Under Sam Allardyce, Borini scored a series of crucial goals during Sunderland’s successful fight against relegation in the 2015-16 season, including a stoppage-time equaliser against Crystal Palace and penalties in vital wins over Norwich City and Chelsea.
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The following campaign proved more difficult, as injuries limited his involvement and Sunderland endured a difficult season that ended in relegation. Borini did, however, produce moments of quality, including late goals against Manchester United and West Ham United, underlining his knack for dramatic interventions. Borini left Sunderland in 2017 to join AC Milan, initially on loan before completing a permanent move. His time in Italy included European football and a series of versatile performances across multiple positions, further adding to a career built on adaptability and professionalism.
Now back in English football with Salford City, Borini has shown that his influence remains strong. Alongside his recent FA Cup contributions, he also scored and assisted in a dramatic 4-3 comeback win against Colchester United in December, reinforcing his value both on and off the pitch.
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