Genoa complete Taarabt loan deal

Genoa have completed a loan deal for Benfica forward Adel Taarabt as the club seeks to end a dismal run of form and climb into the top half of Serie A.

The Rossoblu have lost four of their last five domestic matches and failed to score in three of those, but coach Ivan Juric will hope the arrival of playmaker Taarabt enhances his side’s attacking threat.

Morocco international Taarabt started his career at Lens, before making a name for himself when Tottenham Hotspur loaned him out to Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship.

Taarabt scored 33 league goals in 150 appearances for the Hoops but was later loaned out to Fulham and then to Milan before eventually signing a five-year contract at Benfica in 2015.

Since joining the club, the 27-year-old has scored just once for Benfica B in Segunda Liga, and he will be looking to make a bright start to his second spell in Serie A – he scored after just eight minutes of his Milan debut in January 2014.