Having failed to make Brendan Rodgers’ squad of youthful misfits and reserves who were set loose on Shamrock Rovers during a friendly last month, major doubts were cast over Luis Alberto’s future at Liverpool. The Spaniard featured only nine times in the league, and was nearly shut out of even a measly bench appearance for the latter third of the season, suggesting he was not in Rodgers’ plans going forward.
Liverpool and Malaga have come to a loan agreement for Alberto’s services, with the stipulation that the player be guaranteed lots of first-team playing time. The move feels very much like Alberto’s last opportunity to make an impact on Rodgers, and it’s one that shows there’s still a glimmer of hope for his future on Liverpool.
For whatever reason, Alberto never seemed to have really settled on Merseyside. The player’s Twitter account was often the only proof of life throughout the season, and his frequent trips back to Spain suggested a homesickness that even Liverpool’s valiant crew of Spanish speakers could not overcome. Malaga isn’t Seville, but it’s a mere two hour drive away, and one hopes that with a few local comforts sorely lacking in England, Alberto can return to the form that caught Brendan Rodgers’ eye in the first place.
Written by Steve Milne
