Report: Liverpool willing to let Lucas Leiva join Inter on loan

Liverpool is reportedly ready to part ways with the longest-serving player on its squad, albeit temporarily.

According to the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool is prepared to let Lucas Leiva join Internazionale on loan until the end of the season. The Reds have apparently accepted the Nerazzurri's loan bid for the box-to-box player, and the Italian club will decide whether to finalise the deal or choose another midfielder.

Lucas is allegedly Inter's first choice when it comes to the Nerazzurri's search for a midfielder, but the club holds other options in Chelsea's John Obi Mikel, Fiorentina's Milan Badelj, and VfL Wolfsburg's Luiz Gustavo.

Despite Lucas' attacking instincts, all three of the Brazilian's 2016-17 Premier League starts have come as a centre-back, a position where he finds himself behind Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren in Liverpool's pecking order. In the Reds' midfield, the artifact of Gremio finds himself competing for minutes with Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Kevin Stewart, and Marko Grujic.

Lucas joined Liverpool from Gremio in 2007, one year after becoming the youngest player to receive Revista Placar's Bola de Ouro, given to the best player in Brazilian football.