Divock Origi’s future at Liverpool looks bleak.
Paying just £36 million to sign Mohamed Salah has proven to be an astute piece of business for Liverpool, but it was not the only stroke of genius by the club last summer.
Their transaction with Wolfsburg for unwanted striker Divock Origi flew under the radar, but deserves some attention.
The Reds loaned Origi out for the season, and gained £6 million in the process, demanding a stupendously high loan fee, The Mail reported.
Liverpool took advantage of Wolfsburg’s desperations ahead of the transfer deadline, and ensured the Bundesliga side paid 100 per cent of his wages for the season too.
Getting £6 million just for one season is almost unprecedented, and repaid more than half of the £10 million the Reds paid for him in 2014.
Considering he was not in Jurgen Klopp’s plans, it was a shrewd deal.
What has transpired since should make the Reds feel even better about managing to get a fee.
He has scored only five goals this season in 19 games, costing Wolfsburg more than a million per strike.
Just one of these have come in 2018 and at the weekend he was humiliatingly substituted off after just 42 minutes of the defeat to Hoffenheim.
He surely does not have a future at Wolfsburg, and not at Liverpool either.
The Reds will try to recoup some of the £10 million they paid for him this summer, but thanks to getting £6 million already for this past season, the pressure is off to get the whole lot back – as on current form they could struggle.
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