EXO fans who are eagerly anticipating the fate of Tao may officially be stuck in limbo.

That is to say, for every confirmation that the singer is still a part of the group, there's evidence that he may never return from China.

Recently it was discovered that Tao (real name Huang Zitao) has been removed as a member from EXO-M's official facebook page. SM Entertainment remains adamant that Tao's placement in EXO is still being negotiated, but perhaps this means that the discussions aren't going well.

Back in May, SM Entertainment released a statement to explain Tao's position in EXO after it was announced that he would not promote the latest EXO album repackage "Love Me Right."

"It cannot be confirmed whether Tao is staying or leaving. Negotiations are still ongoing," said the SM Entertainment Representative (via Koreaboo).

The entertainment label then followed this up with a confirmation that despite Tao opening up his own agency in China, they were still working to come to a positive agreement.

"We have heard the news of Tao's personal workshop. We are currently in discussion for an ongoing progressive direction," explained a SM Entertainment Rep.

The discrepancy over Tao's inclusion in EXO began when the Chinese artist's father made a public post on social media, expressing that his son would be leaving the group do to an aggravating leg injury. Tao's father then told the Chinese media that Tao had already agreed to leave the group and return to China.

Since then, it has remained unclear on whether Tao would return to EXO after receiving treatment for his injury. Tao has however remained active in China with several endorsements and appearances.

Even though there's no certainty regarding Tao's inclusion in EXO, hopefully the negotiations between Tao and SM Entertainment will end with a positive result.