Liverpool will sell frozen-out star for cut-price fee in summer
Liverpool will let frozen-out striker Divock Origi leave this summer, possibly for as little as £12m, according to a report.
FootballInsider report that the champions will allow the Belgian to move on after failing to sell him in January.
The Reds were hoping to get £20m for the 25-year-old, who will still have three years on his contract this summer. However, such has been the economic downturn, Michael Edwards and Co are expecting to bank considerably less than that.
Origi was a £10m signing in July 2014, but he has made only 157 appearances in that time, scoring 35 goals.
The forward has made only five starts this season in all competitions, finding himself well down Jurgen Klopp’s pecking order.
Per the source, Borussia Dortmund are keeping tabs on Origi, who penned a new deal in July 2019, ahead of the summer move for the player.
Corriere Dello Sport (via the Daily Mail), claimed Inter Milan viewed Origi as an excellent back-up option for Romelu Lukaku in January. However, an offer never transpired, while Wolves were also believed to be interested in the winter transfer window.
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Origi, whose only goal this season came in September’s 7-2 thrashing of Lincoln City in the EFL Cup, has only played three minutes in thge league in the last seven games. While the return of Diogo Jota in midweek coincided with Klopp dropping Origi from his matchday squad.
He is mostly remembered for his late Merseyside derby winner against Everton and bagging a brace in Liverpool’s remarkable Champions League comeback win over Barcelona.
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Liverpool players ‘hate’ Kirkby base
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s players reportedly ‘hate’ the club’s new state-of-the-art training facility and would rather be at the previous Melwood site.
The Reds had trained at Melwood since the 1950s but are now based at Kirkby. Work on the new site began in 2018 and was completed in October 2020.
The facility includes three full-size pitches, two gyms and a full-size sports hall. There is also a pool and specialist sports rehabilitation suites, with the aim of bringing the senior side and Under-23s together.
The squad relocated there in November last year, with boss Jurgen Klopp full of praise for the development.
“It will improve the process, massively,” he said at the time. “The relationship with the academy, it will be as close as ever and that’s really good.”
The players have now settled in and adjusted to the new location. However, The Sun claims that there is ‘one problem with the new HQ – the players hate it.’
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