Agent confirms Italian interest in Sunderland's Vito Mannone & Fabio Borini and says decision to be made in summer

Mannone has returned to form in recent weeks

Roberto De Fanti represents both goalkeeper Vito Mannone and attacker Fabio Borini, and has confirmed that Serie A sides looked to try and seal a move for the pair in January.

Mannone and Borini were both linked with a switch to Genoa, the latter also linked with Maurizio Sarri's high-flying Napoli.

Both have played a large amount of first-team football this season, but Mannone is expected to lose his place to Jordan Pickford once the youngster returns from a cruciate injury.

Borini, meanwhile, has endured a frustrating season and lost his place to Adnan Januzaj for the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend.

De Fanti said: "Vito and Fabio are happy playing in the Premier League.

"We often forget that Vito and Fabio have played their entire career in the Premier League, except for one year with Fabio at Roma.

"Italy, however, always remains home and after a while more and more you want to go back. There was something with some top Italian clubs but the conditions were not right. We will see this summer.”

Mannone signed a new deal in the summer, keeping him at the club until 2018.

Borini's deal, signed last summer, also runs until 2018.