Leeds ‘make ambitious offer’ for Liverpool cult hero as Farke eyes striker after Ampadu confirmation

Leeds United have tabled an ambitious offer for out-of-favour AC Milan centre-forward Divock Origi, according to reports.  

The 28-year-old joined the Rossoneri on a free transfer last summer after an eight-year stint at Liverpool came to an end.

Now, Leeds are pushing to bring Origi back to England. It remains to be seen whether he will be willing to play in the Championship, though.

Origi failed to impress in his first season at the San Siro. The striker has scored just two goals in 36 appearances for AC Milan so far.

As a result, the Italian club are willing to part ways with the Belgium international this summer. Leeds are aiming to take advantage of that, as they look to bounce back from relegation at the first time of asking.

This is according to Italian outlet SportMediaSet, who claim Leeds have ‘made an offer’ for Origi.

The report doesn’t state how much the Whites have bid, but notes that Crystal Palace are also in the race for his signature. West Ham have registered an interest in the Belgian, too. 

As mentioned, it could be a big ask to convince Origi to drop to the second tier of English football, though.

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Leeds eye Origi after Ampadu swoop

Leeds’ offer for Origi comes after they have secured their first signing of the summer.

The Yorkshire club confirmed the arrival of Ethan Ampadu from Chelsea on a four-year contract on Wednesday.

Capped 44 times by Wales, Ampadu has been on Chelsea’s books since a move from Exeter back in 2017.

However, he has only managed a total of 12 appearances for the club in that time. And having been sent on a series of loans, Chelsea have now decided to cash in on the player.

The fee is described as ‘undisclosed,’ but is believed to be in the region of £7m. Now, it seems Leeds have turned their attention to bringing in a striker.

Last season’s top scorer, Rodrigo, has joined Al Rayyan. As a result, Daniel Farke’s current centre-forward options consist of Patrick Bamford, Joe Gelhardt and Georginio Rutter.

A proven goalscorer would certainly go a long way in helping the Whites gain promotion. But, Leeds’ reported bid for Origi is evidence that Farke isn’t really convinced by the trio.

Therefore, it will be interesting to see how AC Milan respond to Leeds’ offer for Origi. Although, even if they accept the bid, Origi still has to agree to the switch to Elland Road. This seems unlikely, but not impossible.

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