Alberto Aquilani seeking assurances from Liverpool over future

Injury-blighted Alberto Aquilani looks set to return to Liverpool having failed to secure a permanent move away from Anfield.

The Italian spent the last two seasons on loan with Juventus and then AC Milan in an attempt to overcome injuries and recapture the form that led Liverpool to sign him for £20m in 2009.

However, neither of the two clubs wished to make a permanent deal for the midfielder so he has been forced to return to Merseyside.

The 27-year-old has been virtually injury free recently and just wants to be playing regular first team football, wherever that may be.

"At the moment Aqulani is a Liverpool player and will certainly start pre-season training with them, then we'll see what happens," agent Franco Zavaglia told TMW.

"The new manager will decide whether to keep him or not. I don't think he's coming back to Italy and he hasn't expressed any particular preference, but this time I hope Liverpool can tell us in time if he's not part of their plans so we can find him the right club.

"Recently, apart from a slight ankle sprain, Aquilani has had no major fitness problems. The real problems were when he had ankle surgery at Liverpool."