Liverpool are willing to allow Divock Origi to leave as part of a potential deal for Thomas Lemar, so should they offer Southampton something similar.
According to a recent report from the Telegraph, Liverpool’s desire to land Thomas Lemar could see the Reds offer Monaco Divock Origi to sweeten the deal for a player who has recently attracted a £64.6 million bid from the Merseyside club.
The Telegraph stresses that despite Monaco’s interest in Origi, they are determined to keep Lemar, so it will be interesting to see whether an improved bid involving the 22-year-old heading in the opposite direction tempts the Ligue 1 giants into accepting an offer.
Should Monaco stand firm, the Reds would surely be wise to put a similar bid on the table for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk to try and bring an end to one of the summer’s main sagas.
The Daily Mail reports that the Saints have no plans to let the centre-back go, and of course, Liverpool issued an apology and cooled their interest earlier in the summer when it appeared that their pursuit of the Dutchman had persuaded Southampton to get the Premier League involved.
However, the Mail reports that Liverpool remain keen on van Dijk, while the defender himself continues to train alone after submitting a transfer request – with his heart set on an Anfield switch.
Southampton seem unlikely to cash-in at this stage, but perhaps Liverpool should replicate what they have put forward to Monaco in pursuit of Lemar and, as well as the £70 million the Mail believes that they are willing to pay for van Dijk, offer Southampton the chance to sign Origi.
The Belgian is a talented forward, and the Saints could arguably do with additional depth up front, with no goals coming in two of the three games that they have played in the Premier League this season – so perhaps the chance to land Origi while also securing an eye-watering amount for a player who does not want to be at the club any longer may appeal.
It is certainly a longshot at best, but if Southampton begin to feel at any stage that there is no chance of bringing van Dijk back into the fold, then an astonishing offer that sees a young striker head the other way also may just give them something to think about.
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