Italian club Genoa chasing Adu

Italian Serie A club Genoa is interested in signing Benfica's Freddy Adu on loan, according to reports out of Portugal.

The American international moved to Portugal nearly a year ago but found first-team opportunities very limited during his first season in Europe.

Nonetheless, according to Portuguese daily A Bola, Adu is very happy with life at Benfica and acknowledges that his European experience has turned him into a much better player.

This summer, the 19-year-old's performances for the U.S. national team have drawn plaudits from fans and critics alike. They also have caught the eye of Italian side Genoa, which managed a respectable 10th-place finish in Serie A this past season.

Benfica officials say they are uninterested in selling Adu right now; however, a loan that would allow the ex-D.C. United and Real Salt Lake forward to get more games under his belt seems a strong possibility.

Adu though, could well stay at Benfica if he manages to impress new Eagles coach Quique Flores during the preseason. Commenting on his situation, Adu recently told ESPN: "It's not easy to be out of the coach's plans, but I have to face it like a man, like a professional. If I want to be better than the others, I have to work 10 times more."

Since his move to the Estadio da Luz roughly 12 months ago, Adu has played under three different managers as the club struggled in the Liga and in Europe. In his first full season with the Eagles, Adu made 11 appearances and scored two goals.