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How often can we say in Does Jürgen Klopp’s stay at Liverpool mean that they have made a mistake in a transfer? There aren’t many, if any, and you would have to think hard about a genuine contender who fits into that category.
Almost every first-team transfer in the last five years has started to work or have had an impact in some way, even if it’s only miniscule. There will be exceptions, of course, but overall the recruiting achieved by Klopp and Michael Edwards has been very successful.
However, there is an argument that a decision in the recent past may come back to haunt Liverpool. It is not the signature of a player, but the decision to offer him a new contract instead of charging his value at that time.
Divock Origi. Where do we start with it?
He will always be engraved in Anfield folklore for some of the goals he has scored in the red jersey. The late winner of the Merseyside derby, a brace against Barcelona and the sublime final in Madrid against Tottenham. If a player had only one of these in their previous catalog, they would be delighted, but Origi has them all.
After scoring in the Champions League final, Origi’s courage was at an all-time high. Just 12 months earlier, in 2018, he looked out of the picture of the first team at Anfield after failing to impress during a loan stint in Germany with Wolfsburg.
For months he stayed on the sidelines, without even getting into the Premier League squad, much less a starter. Then came the Merseyside derby, and we all know what happened there. After that, Origi was suddenly catapulted into the team, and has remained that way until this season.
The club was in a state of euphoria after winning the number six European Cup in Madrid in 2019, and as a result, Liverpool decided to reward the players who helped bring the trophy back to Anfield. For regular beginners, this was the right decision, but what about Origi?
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Let’s not forget that he was not even in the call for the day a few months before, but then he is given a new contract for five years. Perhaps Liverpool and Klopp were hoping this would be the true start to their Anfield careers, after all, he was in good shape in 2016 before sustaining an ankle injury.
According to Transfermarkt, Origi’s value after the Champions League final was £ 18 million, and it has never been higher. If a Premier League club had wanted to remove him at the time, then they would have charged a fee or around that figure, if not more.
The Wolves were said to be interested sometime last season, as various reports claim, as was Aston Villa in the summer. But Liverpool, whether genuine or not, decided not only to keep Origi at Anfield, but also to extend his contract.
At the time, this probably seemed like the right decision, if we’re honest. He scored some of the most iconic goals in recent club history and produced many good performances in the 2018/19 season. And yet, for the past 18 months or so, the evidence points to the wrong decision being made.
Since the start of last season, Origi has scored just seven goals in 49 appearances, and three of them have come in the Carabao Cup, with her only goal this season coming against Lincoln. However you look at it, for a forward from one of the best clubs in Europe, those are not the best numbers.
It could be argued, then, that Liverpool is paying the price for being sentimental with its transfer transactions. Origi is by no means the worst striker in the world, that suggestion is very unfair and there have been many occasions when he has shown his quality and value to the team.
But this Liverpool team has evolved tremendously since first signing with the club in 2014. The bar has been raised dramatically for the success of winning the Premier League title and as a result only the best players should have time to game. That may be one reason why he hasn’t appeared as much in the league so far this season.
There seems to be a feeling that Origi’s time at Liverpool is drawing to a close, but it is unlikely that there is a club willing to pay the same as it was valued 18 months ago. Then you have to ask the question whether it was worth it not only to extend your deal, but also not to decide to collect at the time when its value was at its peak.
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