According to the Mirror, Liverpool considered using Divock Origi in a complicated deal to sign Lille centre-back Sven Botman last month.
The Mirror‘s David Maddock adds that the Reds also sounded out RB Leipzig duo Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano.
Maddock also states that Lyon’s Marcelo, and Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car, were considered by Liverpool, with the latter even making his way to the airport at one point.
However, what is most interesting, in our view, is that Liverpool were seemingly prepared to lose Origi last month.
The man signed for £10 million by Brendan Rodgers has only started two Premier League games this season.
Both of those came in January. With Diogo Jota injured, and Takumi Minamino now at Southampton, Jurgen Klopp would’ve been foolish to allow Origi to depart.
However, it would’ve been for a good cause if he had.
Botman sounds like a real prospect at centre-back.
The 21-year-old has received glowing reviews from his Lille teammate Jose Fonte, who allegedly believes that the ex-Ajax man is better than Virgil van Dijk and Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães.
This information was revealed on The Transfer Window Podcast, in which Duncan Castles said: ‘Fonte has played with an array of top-class centre-backs in his career including Virgil van Dijk, Toby Alderweireld, Pepe in the Portuguese national team and Gabriel last season who is now at Arsenal.
‘From what I understand of Fonte’s impression of Botman, he thinks he’s the best of all of them.’
Origi currently still has some use to Klopp, although he could’ve been off had this complicated deal began to materialise last month.
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