Origi unlikely to leave Liverpool, club great Michael Owen says
Liverpool great Michael Owen has backed Divock Origi to remain at the club next season.
The Belgian forward with Kenyan roots moved to the English Premier League club in 2014 and has since enjoyed loan spells at Lille in France and German club Wolfsburg.
OPTIONS IN ATTACK
The 25-year-old, who is the son of former Kenyan international Mike Okoth, has however been used sparingly by Reds coach Jurgen Klopp who has an embarrassment of options in attack, thanks to the sublime form of Saido Mane and Mo Salah.
Mane and Salah have accounted for a huge chunk of Liverpool’s goals this season as Klopp’s rampant side matched unchallenged to the club’s first league title in 30 years.
But despite Origi’s prolonged spell on the bench, Owen believes Liverpool will remain ‘loyal’ to Origi.
“Will Origi and Takumi Minamino be there next season? Yes, they will. Origi’s just signed a new contract and Minamino’s only signed (in January),” Owen told Premier League Productions.
LOYAL TO HIM
“They are there and they’re fixed but that doesn’t mean you can’t question whether they should be. Origi signing a new long-term deal, Liverpool were loyal to him, weren’t they?” he said.
“He’d done what he’d done (in the Champions League) and all of a sudden they thought he’s done that so they have to give them a new contract. That’s now prevented them from going and spending big on a back-up striker.”
Owen even suggested that Liverpool’s ‘loyalty’ to Origi is the reason the club passed on the opportunity to sign German hitman Timo Werner, who has since completed a move to Chelsea.
“Timo Werner was obviously a player that Liverpool were linked to and he’s eventually gone to Chelsea. I think that type of player would have been brilliant for Liverpool.”
Origi, who turned down the opportunity to play for Kenya in favour of Belgium, appeared for Liverpool in the club’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday. He has scored 18 goals in 88 appearances for the club.