If Zlatan Ibrahimovic ever decides to pen a sequel to 2013’s best-selling biography, one would imagine he will choose to leave out the time when Divock Origi outplayed him in his own backyard.
As Liverpool’s second-string secured a dominant 2-1 win at the San Siro last week – becoming the first English side to win six out of six in the Champions League group-stages – Zlatan barely had a kick, reduced to a frustrated spectator by the imperious Ibrahima Konate and Nat ‘the Bolton Baresi’ Phillips.
The same could not be said of his opposite number at the other end of the pitch however.
Origi scored Liverpool’s winning goal away to the seven-time European champions. Of course he did.
That’s just what Divock Origi does. He’s not a scorer of great goals, or even a great goalscorer, but when he does find the net, it’s usually headline news.
The Belgian international is that most rare of beasts. A player who appears to be content with a backseat role, happy to spend most of his time sat on the sidelines.
Remarkably, the £20 million-rated Origi has scored more goals (five) than he’s started games in 2021/22 (four).
But, with his 27th birthday coming up, how much longer will the long-serving striker be content to live in the shadows, stepping into the limelight only occasionally?
Origi’s contract expires next summer. And it seems there has been little movement on an extension.
Could Divock Origi replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic at AC Milan?
Furthermore, with reports linking Liverpool with the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Dusan Vlahovic and Karim Adeyemi, a parting of the ways may be for the best.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, AC Milan were impressed enough by Origi’s match-winning display at the San Siro that they have placed the seldom-seen centre-forward at the top of their January wishlist – much to the delight of many with red-and-black blood running through their veins.
Milan’s first-choice centre-forwards, Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have a combined age of 75. Even they cannot defy Father Time forever.
But after outshining Zlatan at the San Siro, could Origi now replace him?
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