It’s been one of the longest running transfer saga’s of the summer here in the Football Transfer Tavern and it seems that even Gus Poyet is on the verge of giving up on signing Fabio Borini from Liverpool, according to The Express.

The Italian forward spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light, scoring 10 goals in all competitions as the Black Cats achieved a remarkable escape from relegation.

Borini was awarded with the club’s young player of the season and impressed Poyet enough to warrant a £14 million bid for his services on a permanent deal.

That offer was accepted by Liverpool, but Borini has stalled for almost three weeks now leaving Poyet to look at alternatives.

Poyet said: “It’s still ongoing. I can assure the supporters it’s not over. Please trust me, I can’t tell you everything because it’s not fair on everybody.“It’s not that Borini doesn’t want to come. I have talked to him and things are clear, but it’s a matter of doing it at the right time. In any case he is just coming back to fitness and wouldn’t have been available for our first game.“But we do need a player in that position and we are ready to move on and have another option. It’s impossible to say it will happen tomorrow, Monday or the 31st of the month.”