Liverpool have announced a fresh contract for Divock Origi and Steve Nichol isn’t happy about it at all.
The former defender has taken to the airwaves to criticise the Reds for handing the Belgian a contract because he hasn’t improved since signing in 2014 – while he also slammed Origi for accepting the deal out of greed.
In doing so, Nichol slightly misses the point. Origi isn’t accepting this deal because he’s a money grabber who isn’t bothered about first team football. He’s doing it because he backs his own ability, showed Jurgen Klopp what he can do last term and believes he’ll get more opportunities to do the same.
Daniel Sturridge is gone, Xherdan Shaqiri may miss the early stages of the campaign and the entire front three will need a rest after they participated in summer international tournaments. There has never been a better time for Origi to stake his claim for a future at Anfield.
He also knows that Jurgen Klopp needs a forward who can play across the line, and the Belgian has adapted to be that man. After key performances against Watford, Everton, Newcastle and Barcelona he’s shown his worth in short bursts. This new deal gives him and the club the security to do so over longer periods of time.
Is Nichol correct when he says Origi is no better now than in 2014? Maybe. But if he was good enough for the club then, he’s definitely good enough for it now – especially after a series of match winning performances throughout the season.
He also misses the point in assuming that all the Belgian will do is take from the club without giving anything back. Origi will contribute a huge deal. He’s hungry for success, keen to prove himself and can play across the front three and will get a chance to do so.
This deal also gives the team renewed strength in depth and will allow Jurgen Klopp’s back-up options to hit the ground running without any bedding in period. We’ve seen how Klopp takes a softly softly approach to new singings, and this way that whole process can be mitigated.