AC Milan Reportedly Make Denis Suarez, Barcelona Loan Inquiry

AC Milan have reportedly made contract with Barcelona to test the waters regarding a loan deal for Denis Suarez.

According to Sky Italia (h/t Calciomercato.com), Milan have inquired about his availability ahead of the January transfer window and could be exploring the possibility of a loan deal with the option to buy, though it is unknown whether Barca would accept a deal structured that way.

The 24-year-old has made just two appearances for the Blaugrana this season.

He captained the side in their 1-0 win over Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey in October, and on Wednesday, he made a 10-minute cameo in the UEFA Champions League as Barca beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1:

Suarez was re-signed by Barcelona in the summer of 2016 after spending a campaign at Villarreal, for whom he contributed five goals and 12 assists.

However, he has started just 29 matches since, with only 11 of those coming under manager Ernesto Valverde.

Football writer Andrew Gaffney believes it's clear Suarez won't get the game time he wants at the Camp Nou and should move on, and ESPN's Samuel Marsden expressed a similar sentiment:

It's evident there's no future for him at Barcelona, so as much as he may want to make his time there a success, there's little chance of that happening.

A move away while he's still young could reignite his career, and he could be a shrewd acquisition for the Rossoneri if he can recapture the form he displayed at Villarreal.

Barca would likely prefer to make a permanent sale in January, but a loan with a view to buy would still help them get him off their books.