Signed over the summer, Divock Origi is yet to pull on the Liverpool shirt. Not because he’s a poor player, not because he’s too young, but because a part of the £10m deal for his signature dictated that he would spend this season back on loan at Lille.
Although this was initially seen as a wise move by the Reds, a lack of goals from Brendan Rodgers’ attacking options has led to a sense of desperation on Merseyside, and now it has emerged that the club are attempting to thrash out an arrangement to bring Origi back early.
But would getting the Belgian to Anfield now be wise? Or would it be a potentially dangerous long-term move? We think the latter, and here are five reasons why…
Not exactly prolific…
With no goals to his name since October, moving up from a team of Lille’s standing in Ligue 1 to Liverpool in the Premier League may be a big ask for Origi. The teenager will have the pressure of hitting the ground running on his shoulders, and the Anfield crowd are known for being demanding of their stars.
Although he had an impressive World Cup with Belgium, four efforts in 23 outings (almost one in five) is hardly inspiring. In truth, Lille have been fairly poor this term and he would surely get better service on Merseyside, but coming in at a time that Liverpool need results may put too much pressure on the youngster.
Inexperienced
At 19, Origi is still at the very start of what looks likely to be an impressive career. But giving him as much of a chance as possible to fulfil his potential is a responsibility Liverpool have, and too much, too young could be detrimental. A vital World Cup goal and the fact that he has kept Romelu Lukaku out of the Belgium XI on numerous occasions may suggest that he can handle the pressure, but Rodgers needs to be careful.
Sturridge close to returning
Word is that Sturridge is set to be back in action by mid January. Even with the transfer window wide open, the return of the England international will be the best addition the Reds can hope for, with his goals, movement and pace having been sorely missed since August.
With the most goals to his name after 50 Liverpool games in history, it’s a valid argument to suggest that Rodgers has missed Sturridge more than departed star Luis Suarez. It’s also worth remembering that when ‘El Pistolero’ was banned at the back end of the 2012/13 season, ‘Studge’ led the line terrifically for Liverpool, forming a lethal partnership with Philippe Coutinho.
Good options available
Okay, very few players on the market will cost Liverpool £3m this January, but there are better options out there than paying the extra fee (the total will reach around £13m) for Origi. West Brom’s Saido Berahino is rumoured to be looking for a £14m move away from the Hawthorns, while a similar fee will trigger the release clause in Spanish sensation Paco Alcacer’s Valencia contract.
Interestingly, the £3m could be used for Fiorentina’s Neto. The Brazilian goalkeeper is said to be available for such a fee after telling La Viola that he will not be extending his contract beyond the end of the season, and would be a definite upgrade on Simon Mignolet.
Can he co-exist with Balotelli?
A big question facing Rodgers is what to do with Balotelli. The Italian was dubbed the answer to the Suarez problem over the summer, but with the Premier League season past the midway point, he is still yet to find the net. Okay, Balotelli has scored in the Capital One Cup and Champions League, yet his performances have been largely unconvincing, while showing some signs of promise at the same time.
It’s certainly a tricky problem for the Liverpool boss, who may have too many players at his disposal with Origi back alongside ‘Balo’, Lambert, Sturridge, Borini and Sterling.