Liverpool Confirm Alberto Aquilani Will Move To Italy On Loan, Agent Reveals Juventus Deal Is Close
Move back to Italy on the cards...
By Paul Madden
Aug 20, 2010 4:00:00 PM
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has revealed that midfielder Alberto Aquilani could return to Italy on loan, with the player's agent claiming that a deal with Italian giants Juventus is on the verge of being completed.
Aquilani was absent from the Liverpool squad for their 1-0 Europa League victory over Trabsonspor at Anfield on Thursday night and afterwards Hodgson confirmed via the club's official website liverpoolfc.tv that the player may be set to leave to guarantee first team football and preserve his value.
The former Roma midfielder joined the Reds in a ?20 million move last summer as a replacement for Xabi Alonso but after spending much of the season overcoming injury, he failed to make a telling impact on Merseyside and Hodgson has acknowledged that he is not guaranteed regular football at Anfield this season so a loan move may be in the 26-year-old's best interests.
"At the moment we are considering possibly loaning him to an Italian club, but nothing is sure about that yet," Hodgson revealed, before hinting the player still has a future at the club beyond the current campaign.
"I didn't want to use him tonight just in case the loan goes through because for Aquilani this year it's very important that he plays regular football, every week as the number one man on the team sheet.
"I can't promise him that here so if a loan move to Italy could help him in that respect it might be good for all parties.
"It would certainly be what he needs, it would certainly protect the value of the player and when he does return to Liverpool no doubt we will see the Aquilani that we signed before he came here injured last year."
Aquilani's agent, Franco Zavaglia, has now told Sky Italia, “The negotiations between Juventus and Liverpool have not yet concluded. We are working on the details."
Il Corriere dello Sport had claimed earlier on Friday that Juve have reached an agreement with Liverpool and that they will have an option to buy the 26-year-old on a permanent contract at the end of the 2010-11 campaign. An official announcement could be made later on Friday.
