24-year old ex-Liverpool Academy player might not replace Coutinho this winter
The day Philippe Coutinho left for Barcelona, 24-year old Spanish player Suso was named as one of his possible successors at Anfield, according to reports in the Daily Express.
However, according to the official AC Milan website, the Italian club has no intentions of selling key players during the period of 2017/18 winter transfer window.
"With Suso, Milan was very clear in the summer: we will not give in even for an offer of 80 million euros", - sais one of the club representatives, whose words were subsequently published on the official site.
Based on that statement, it's fair to say that chances of Suso leaving Italy for England this winter are slim to none.
Who is Suso?
In 2010, at the age of 16, Suso moved to England from Cadiz, a small team from his native town. In his debut 2012/13 season, he made 20 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, yet failed to establish himself as an important first-team player.
For the next season, he was loaned to La Liga newcomers Almeria where quickly became a starter. In January 2015, AC Milan signed Suso for the price of €1.3 million.
Although he struggled to adapt to the Italian football for a while, the 2016/17 season, in which he made a total of 37 appearances in all competitions, was a breakthrough season for Suso at San Siro that even earned him a spot on the senior national team.
In September 2017, he also signed a new contract with AC Milan that would keep him at the club until 2022.
Author's opinion
Suso's story at Liverpool is somewhat similar to the story of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at AC Milan. Both players failed to impress the coaches at their first "big" club, yet started to fulfil their potential elsewhere and, eventually, flourished.
However, Suso should not be treated as a direct replacement for Philippe Coutinho due to the fact that they prefer to play in different positions, as well as exhibit different individual characteristics.
Suso is a left-footed right winger whereas Coutinho is right-footed and he prefers to play mostly on the left side of the pitch. Though, it's worth mentioning that both players are excellent at dribbling and assisting strikers.
Is it possible for Suso to make a historic comeback? Yes, but not right now. One thing is certain: the player's desire will be a crucial element in his next transfer move. All in all, for the first time since the 2000s, AC Milan made a great investment that seems to have totally paid off already.
The question, though, is can they keep a hold of him?