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Nearing the end of a largely successful season-long loan spell at Almeria, Liverpool's young attacking midfielder Suso has suggested he would like to stay at the Andalusian club next season. Though Liverpool's likely return to European competition would bring with it opportunities for him at Anfield, at only 20 years of age it certainly wouldn't hinder his development to spend another season as a key player in Almeria's attack.
Following a brief spell on the sidelines after he fell asleep during a training session and faced with suggestions he was spending too much of his time on the Mediterranean coast partying, Suso has worked his way out of the doghouse and back into the starting eleven at Almeria. With only a year to go on his Liverpool contract, though, even if his short term future seems to have been sorted out, what happens next is still up in the air.
"I’ve only got one season left at Liverpool," Suso told AS, and though he says his hopes are to return to Almeria for next season after extending his Liverpool contract, there's a hint of uncertainty in his insistence that whatever happens won't only depend on what his hopes are. "If I signed a new deal and then continued at Almeria for another year, I think that would be a good choice, but what happens next doesn't only depend on me."
For now, though, his focus remains on the final months of the La Liga season, with Almeria still dangerously close to the relegation zone. Three points off the drop, Almeria are part of a pack of six sides between 12th and 17th that are no more than six points from safety, and as in most years, the bottom half of La Liga looks a wide open fight for survival with only Real Betis seeming certain of demotion.
"We are down there but if we beat Malaga we’ll get distance from the relegation zone," Suso said. "A four point gap, at this stage of the championship, is very important. It’s also true that we still have 14 games ahead and they will be 14 battles, but we’ve been doing well at home and if we continue like this we’ll have lots of ways to save ourselves."
Wherever Suso ends up next year, his key role in Almeria's attempts to stay in the Spanish top flight will be an invaluable experience, as will the work he has put in to overcome a spell on the sidelines after running afoul of team rules. As for the season after next, most Liverpool fans will be hoping the club can tie up the talented youngster quickly once he returns in a few months.
