Luis Alberto unfortunately became a figment of our collective imagination during the spring, slipping out the squad and disappearing almost entirely before he and his fiance reappeared on social media to chronicle their great European adventures. Probably not the greatest indicator of how his season went that his ventures on Instagram proved more compelling. The pictures were fun, though.
Troubles on and off the pitch naturally gave way to exit rumors, with most of the immediate post-season talk focused on a permanent exit. He then found himself included as a (real or imagined) makeweight in Liverpool's approach for Alberto Moreno, which would take him back to his former club in order to help secure the signature of the left-back. More recently the talk has focused on a loan deal with Malaga, who were one of the rumored destinations earlier in the summer and are now apparently set to advance talks in the coming week.
That's quasi-good news for those holding out hope for a Liverpool future that includes the young midfielder; there's still the sense that he's going to have to do plenty of convincing in order to work his way into Brendan Rodgers' plans, but a year away with regular playing time would ideally give the club more time before a longer-lasting decision is made about his future.