Lazar Markovic is reportedly close to moving to Turkish side Fenerbahce on a year-long loan, but should Liverpool have kept him for the long season that lies ahead?
The Serbian moved to Liverpool last season for a huge £20 million as part of the overhaul in the wake of Luis Suarez's departure, but it is safe to say he has not lived up to that massive price tag.
The winger features 31 timed in all competitions last year and only managed three goals, but was it so bad as to loan him out for the next 12 months?
Played out of position
For the majority of last season, Markovic featured as a wing-back and was not playing in his preferred position, which is further forward. As a result, it was hard for the former Benfica man to express his true talents.
When Brendan Rodgers did play him in his correct position, Liverpool fans managed to see glimpses to why the Reds paid so much for the 21-year-old as he demonstrated his raw abilities.
Their match against Tottenham Hotspur last year was a notable example, as Markovic managed to get a goal and demonstrated the threat he brings - with his lightning pace, but also his skills, vision and work ethic.
A long season ahead
Liverpool are back in the Europa League this season, and are pushing to get back into the Champions League. They will also want to try and win either the Capital One Cup or the FA Cup as they vie for a successful season.
As a result, there is going to be plenty of matches this season, and the squad is expected to need rotating regularly to ensure no players get injured or suffer from fatigue throughout the year.
In the Europa League, or the cup games, many of the first-team players that play in the Premier League are expected to be rested, which then gives other players in the squad a chance to shine.
Lazar Markovic could've been used in these competitions to give him some confidence, as well as vital playing time - even though these competitions only represent a handful of fixtures.
Is playing time key?
As Markovic is young, he still has a lot of time to develop and he could also learn a lot from the current players at Liverpool - with several attacking players having been brought in over the summer.
However, Markovic needs to be playing regularly if he wants to constantly improve, and eventually be a regular starting player for the Reds.
At Fenerbahce, Markovic is expected to be one of the regular starters, and the toughness of the Turkish Super Lig could give Markovic some vital experience, which he can then bring back to England.
Markovic has a Liverpool future
Despite going out on loan, and having a poor debut season, Rodgers did say in a recent pre-match press conference that the Serbian "still has a future" on Merseyside.
With Liverpool signing so many players again this summer, it seems that Markovic won't be as used as much as he and the club would like, so sending him out on loan allows him to continue to develop.
It may be another year before we see Markovic back in a Liverpool shirt, but hopefully when he does return, the fans will see why the club spent so much on him in the first place.