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News broke yesterday that FC Porto were interested in procuring Suso's services now that his loan spell at Almeria is complete. Those in the throes of immediate grief attributed the story to pure fabrication at best or a massive sign that Brendan Rodgers doesn't the rate young Spaniard at worst, the latter of which is not terribly comforting.
But it seems a third option is closer to the truth, with Suso revealing that it's his own desire for playing time that is driving this particular story.
"My priority is to stay here [at Liverpool] but Porto is an excellent option if I leave Liverpool," the player confirmed. "I know there’s negotiations. Porto are the best club in Portugal and they have faith in their youngsters. They also have a coach I like working with [Julen Lopetegui, who managed Spain's U19, U20, and U21 teams from 2010-2014].
"I will only renew with Liverpool if I’m guaranteed I’ll play regularly. The option is clear if I don’t renew: let me leave. I think Liverpool thinks the same. They won’t let me leave on a free in a year if I don’t renew. Let's see what happens."
Liverpool fans will recall the similar predicament Jonjo Shelvey found himself in last season where no guarantee of the volume of minutes he desired prompted him to hand in a transfer request that eventually led to his signing with Swansea. Rodgers respected Shelvey's ambitions by allowing him to leave, and although Suso's future in red seems much more solid than Shelvey's ever was, it's certainly within Rodgers to let Suso leave for the same reason if he can't give the player what he wants.
