Rossi reveals Fiorentina departure to fan on Twitter

Rossi has been plagued by knee injury problems since joining La Viola from Spanish Liga side Villarreal in 2013 and earlier this season agreed to take a pay cut.

Now the 28-year-old New Jersey-born striker, who played a handful of games for Manchester United earlier in his career, looks set to return to Spain.

Fiorentina have yet to confirm the news although reports claim Rossi will join basement side Levante on a six-month loan deal before returning to Villarreal, where he played 136 times between 2007-2013, ahead of next season. 

Rossi revealed he would be departing Fiorentina on Thursday after a female fan, Michela Cervo, asked him on Twitter if he would stay at the Florence-based club during the January transfer window. 

"I've given the absolute maximum in everything I've done at the club between therapy and training in recent months because I wanted to give as much possible back to the fans," Rossi said in a series of posts on the social media site. 

"But it's hard to keep doing that when the opportunities are few and far between.

"Football is my life and if I can't play I can never be happy. I hope that you, and the Fiorentina fans understand my position because I want to have a smile on my face again.

"There will always be a place in my heart for Fiorentina. I'm sorry for the long message, but these are things I had to say."

With only 11 league appearances this season, four of which he started, Fiorentina may not stand in his way.

It would end a disastrous spell for Rossi at Fiorentina, whom he joined in a four-year deal worth 11.8m euros in January 2013, although reports then said a get-out clause worth 35m euros was included in his contract.

Rossi hit the net in a 4-0 rout of Belenenses in the Europa League, but it was a rare appearance from the American-born Italian.

Fiorentina signed Croatian international Nikola Kalinic last summer and his 10 league goals so far, and some strong performances from up and coming playmaker Federico Bernardeschi, as well as Slovenian Josip Ilicic, who has found the net nine times, has kept Rossi on the bench.

Fiorentina sit fourth place in Serie A at six points behind Napoli ahead of hosting Torino on Sunday.