Uruguayan deemed surplus to requirements after loan spell at Inter last season.
Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio is eyeing a swoop for Napoli midfielder Walter Gargano as the alternative to signing Inter’s Zdravko Kuzmanovic.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian tactician is set to continue his search of his homeland in order to bolster his squad ahead of the new campaign, and he has identified Gargano as a prime target.
The Uruguayan international was a vital part of Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli team twelve months ago, but spent the second half of last season on loan at Inter.
It would appear that Rafa Benitez does not see him as part of his first-team plans in the coming season, with Blerim Dzemaili, Valon Behrami and Gokhan Inler all expected to feature ahead of him.
As a result, Di Canio will look to bring the 29-year-old to the Premier League, and join Emanuele Giaccherini in swapping Italy for England this summer.
However, the Sunderland boss isn’t placing all his hope on signing Gargano as he remains in the hunt to sign Inter midfielder Kuzmanovic.
Gazzetta have reported that the Black Cats have been in discussions with Inter for days over signing the Serbian star, but at this stage no agreement has been reached.
That in turn has led Di Canio to consider Gargano, with the club set to send an official offer to Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis in the coming days.
It remains to be seen which transfer target Di Canio gets his hands on this summer, but he will hoping for a positive impact from either player as Sunderland look to improve on a disappointing campaign last year.
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