Eden Hazard cuts the ball back from the by-line in the penalty box. The ball is swept into the roof of the net, and a nation erupts. A star is born. Divock Origi emerges on the world stage.
Source: liverpoofc.com
This goal settled a cagey, yet pivotal World Cup group stage match against Russia. Although he had only been chosen in the Belgium squad as a wildcard attacker, Origi emerged as a deserved starter for much of the campaign. Indeed, Origi’s exploits in Brazil convinced Liverpool to buy him from Lille for €15 million. Now in January, with the Reds only now spluttering to life and forward options floundering, Liverpool are on the verge of splashing another €4 million. But would it be merited?
Origi’s father, a Kenyan international, encouraged him to play as much as possible as a kid. He impressed in the youth ranks at Genk before securing a move across the nearby Franco-Belgian border to Lille. On his debut, the teenager salvaged a draw against Troyes in Ligue 1 with a backpost header, earning many admirers in the process.
Origi is a superb athlete. He is fast, strong and possesses impressive skill. He also has an acute footballing brain and is a dribbling expert. However, his ability to lead the line is still in question. As Belgian football expert Kristoff Terreur [@HLNinEngeland] has said: “he has never been a natural goal scorer”, with end product often lacking.
This season, the Belgian attacker has played poorly. A direct replacement for Salomon Kalou, who bagged 16 goals last term, Origi has drifted out of games this season. His season was typified by his penalty miss against Wolfsburg, which brought about boos from the Lille ultras thereafter. Girard’s Lille side have been notoriously tepid and poor on the eye, thus Origi hasn’t been given the freedom he is for Belgium. There must be some irony that Liverpool bought Origi on the back of impressive displays for The Red Devils.
Ball retention has been an issue, too. At Lille’s nemesis RC Lens, the performances of another Belgian teenager Baptiste Guillaume have been much more impressive than those of Origi. They both have similar abilities, with deceptive pace and strengt, but Guillaume’s hold-up play has been far superior. Lille have scored just 17 goals this term in 20 games, (3 fewer than Liverpool target Alexandre Lacazette) and Origi must be somewhat at fault for this measly goal return.
So, should Liverpool pay out Origi’s contract for the additional €4 million? Even in today’s modern climate, a total package of €19 million for such a raw product is lunacy. It is rather in keeping with Liverpool’s spending under Rodgers.
Despite all that I have said, Origi is undeniably one of the premier teenage talents in Europe. Few teenagers manage 5+ Ligue 1 goals without going on to much, much bigger things. He would operate best on the right in a front three, although his versatility could see him play a number of roles. The extra €4 million would not mean much to a club of Liverpool’s stature and financial power, so I see it as a risk worth taking.
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