Rumours are common place during the transfer market, with constant speculation regarding players moving between clubs. One rumour that seemed to never end this summer, was the speculation of Moussa Sow being a transfer target of Sunderland's.
The striker eventually agreed to move to the Al-Ahli for a fee of around £11.7 million from previous club Fenerbahçe, but still claimed that he was wanted in England.
Sunderland had no interest
Whilst the player himself may have come out and revealed that he was a sought after property elsewhere, stating that he "received a few offers from England", it appears that one of those clubs interested was not Sunderland, despite the rumour mill.
The Sunderland Echo have revealed, following claims from media outlets abroad, that the Black Cats had no intention of signing the centre forward, and that Fabio Borini was the club's main target.
Was Sow using Sunderland?
Players claiming to have several clubs interested in them is nothing new in this day and age, it has become the norm to see footballers using rumours as leverage to new contracts or to increased money from new clubs.
This could have been the case with Sow, in a plea to gain the best possible contract he could from his new club Al-Ahli in the United Arab Emirates, but the player himself did not mention Sunderland specifically - with it being the National claiming that the Wearside club, and Premier League rivals West Ham United, were interested.
However, manager Dick Advocaat instead chose to pursue and purchase Borini from Liverpool to bolster his attacking line.
Was Borini the right buy?
Whilst it has been revealed Sunderland were never in the market for the Senegal international, would Sow have been a better fit for the struggling Premier League outfit?
Last season Borini only managed to find the back of the net once during Liverpool's 2014/15 campaign whilst, on the other hand, Sow scored 14 times in league action.
Sow has been a regular for Fenerbahçe since joining in 2012, scoring a total of 52 league goals during his spell at the club, whereas Borini has struggled to be a first team fit at any of his home clubs, only getting game time when out on loan.
Given the similar price tag of the players, some Sunderland fans might be questioning Advocaat's decision to not bid for Sow in the transfer market, given his impressive goal scoring records and consistent appearances at the top level of football.