Official: Karsdorp to Return to Feyenoord on Loan

In a lot of ways, Rick Karsdorp was a Roma player before he actually became a Roma player: He was frenetic, he was intense and he even had neck tattoos, and when Roma became connected to the then 22-year-old Feyenoord right back people were understandably excited. Here was a kid that had all the goods, one that could push Alessandro Florenzi for minutes at full-back, potentially making the position his own. But then something bitterly ironic happen; Rick Karsdorp really, really became a Roma player.

Before Roma actually signed Karsdorp on June 28, 2017, they were well aware of a meniscus injury he suffered late in the prior Eredivisie season, one that would keep him sidelined for the first 66 days of his Roma career. A meniscus injury (so I'm told) is not terribly serious in and of itself, so when Karsdorp returned to action in late October, there wasn't much cause for concern.

However, what happened next was perhaps one of the sickest expressions of Roma Happened we've ever seen.

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In his first ever appearance in a Roma shirt, Karsdorp tore his ACL against Crotone, erasing his 2017-2018 season in the process. Karsdorp would return to the fold the following season only to miss another month of action due to a muscular injury; a pattern that would soon repeat itself, as the young Dutchman was never far from the trainer's table over the past two years.

However, with a relatively clean bill of health and a new manager in tow, it seemed like Karsdorp would be given the fresh slate he so desperately needed, but rather than that do over taking place in the capital, it seems like Karsdorp is returning from whence he came.

According to TMC, Karsdorp is headed back to Feyenoord on a season long loan, and indeed may already be taking his medical examination, with the move receiving an official announcement as soon as Thursday. The move is believed to be a dry loan, meaning there is no option, mandatory or otherwise, at the end of the deal.

Given the clandestine nature of this move, we can only assume Paulo Fonseca didn't rate Karsdorp in his current capacity, so perhaps a year spent in a more familiar environment might be the key to reigniting his once promising career. If not, then, well...get used to these sort of stories.

The move has since been confirmed by the club. Barring a miracle turnaround this season, this probably spells the end of Roma's Rick Karsdorp experiment.