Divock Origi will look to leave Liverpool in the January transfer window in search of regular game time, with RC Lens a potential option for the striker, according to Calciomercato.
Lens sit third behind Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille after the opening six games of the Ligue 1 campaign. But Franck Haise is unsatisfied with his attacking options at the Estadio Bollaert-Delelis, despite his side scoring 11 this season.
Haise has also enjoyed a rounded output from his squad, with eight players finding the net already. However, central midfielder Seko Fofana is the Sang et Or’s top-scorer with three, while only Ignatius Ganago has scored twice.
Lens are now ready to fight any rival suitors to sign Origi if the Belgian leaves Liverpool in January. The striker wants to secure a future away from Anfield in the winter after a limited start to the season. Jurgen Klopp has only fielded the 26-year-old twice in all competitions.
Klopp gave Origi a surprise first start of the term against AC Milan in the Champions League last week. The German had omitted the forward from his previous three Premier League squads, and left him an unused substitute on the opening day.
Origi followed his 63-minutes against Milan, in which he assisted once, with a two-minute cameo against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Yet wants to play more often and will look to secure a transfer to a club where opportunities are more frequent in the January sales.
Liverpool will not block Origi from leaving Anfield, amid interest from Lens, so long as their valuation is met. The Reds want €12m (£10m) for the 29-cap international, the same as they paid LOSC Lille in 2014.
Should Liverpool sell Origi to Lens in January?
Liverpool would risk losing Origi for free if they do not sell the Lens target in January, with his £60k-a-week contract expiring next June. The Reds had wanted to offload the forward this summer, but Goal note they could not find him a suitor.
He had attracted interest from several Bundesliga outfits, plus Wolves and Crystal Palace, who could revive their pursuits in January. Yet their decisions not to sign Origi this summer surprised Klopp, who admitted he did not expect the striker to still be a Liverpool player.
“To be 100% honest, of course I thought he would maybe leave in the summer,” Klopp said, via LiverpoolFC.com. “But the football world is a crazy place, and people obviously forgot how good he is.”
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