Liverpool arrive at the right time to let go of Divock Origi – Sam Carroll



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Divock Origi has already been here at Liverpool.

During his time on loan at Wolfsburg in 2018, just before his stunning comeback as a Champions League hero, there were suggestions he could be moved to.

But this time it looks different.

Liverpool, it is said, are open to bids for his signing as the January transfer window focuses and the timing – to be frank – couldn’t be more perfect.

Origi has less than 18 months into the long-term contract he signed after his heroic Europeans against Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur and, at 25, is the ideal age for Michael Edwards to squeeze every penny into a potential deal.

Liverpool are also well supplied in their position for the moment. While they lack a proper traditional striker, Diogo Jota’s arrival means Jurgen Klopp is spoiled for choice when selecting his front three.

With Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri in reserve – along with exciting strike prospects Layton Stewart and Paul Glatzel impressing for the under 23s – the sale of Origi would by no means leave a noticeable hole in his squad.

The Belgian will want to remain in the thoughts of national team manager Roberto Martinez in view of the rescheduling of Euro 2020 and his playing time at Anfield has been drastically reduced since the start of the season.

He only played for one minute in the Premier League while starting three games in total. One of them was against Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy, in a team that also included Harvey Elliott and Rhys Williams.

His last start took place in late November, in the sad home defeat against Atalanta in the Champions League. Hooked to the hour sign, it was hard not to assume the writing was on the wall for him in Liverpool.

But should the separation of the roads be considered a bad thing? It simply appears that Origi and Liverpool have reached their natural conclusion, and the club can make a good profit while Origi makes sure he has time to play elsewhere.

He would leave a hero, a cult figure. Some may even call him a legend for his contribution not only to Champions League number six, but also for his four goals – and 28 appearances – en route to his first Premier League title last season.

“I had to trust my instincts,” Origi said after signing his new contract when asked how close he was to leaving Liverpool the previous summer. “I wanted to be part of this team”.

Maybe his instincts could tell him something else this time.

He has delivered for Liverpool on major stages over the past couple of years and maybe – just maybe – there’s another Origi comeback in store to surprise us all.



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Or maybe the end is very near. He would have left as a memory maker for so many and would have been granted a heroic welcome if he returned to Anfield in rival colors.

Origi has already been here. But maybe the difference now is Liverpool. With the arrival of Jota and Minamino, Klopp appears to have moved beyond his tried and trusted super-submarine.

Klopp grossed an initial £ 19m from the sale of Dominic Solanke to Bournemouth in 2019 and Liverpool were hoping, one might think, to secure more than Origi’s.

Whether the manager would be ready to lose one of his players in such a busy mid-term campaign remains to be seen, but at this stage the striker who sees the rest of his long-term contract looks skinny.

A separation of the roads seems inevitable, and not many would argue that it doesn’t make sense to everyone involved.

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