Stoke City midfielder Giannelli Imbula has left the club on loan to join Serie A side Lecce for the remainder of the season.

The 26-year-old was a club-record purchase for the Potters back in 2016, however he has endured a very tough time in England and has actually spent the past two years out on loan, with Toulouse and Rayo Vallecano.

Therefore, with Imbula not in Nathan Jones' plans moving forward as he looks to trim his big squad, another move before Monday's European transfer deadline always seemed likely.

And, Stoke's official site confirmed this morning that the left-footer has signed up with newly-promoted Lecce who are looking to establish themselves in the Italian top-flight.

Unfortunately for the Staffordshire outfit, the former Marseille man will still have a year to run on his contract when he does return to the club next summer and he is sure to be one of the high earners after signing a long-term deal when they were in the Premier League.

The Verdict

Stoke are still paying the price for poor decisions made over the years and this is a clear example of that as they still can't offload Imbula on a permanent basis.

It just hasn't worked out for the midfielder since he arrived and he was never going to force his way into the team this season so a move seemed inevitable.

The Championship side will hope he can get his career back on track somewhat in Italy, to increase their chances of selling him next summer, whilst it's a great opportunity for the player to get game time at a good standard.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.