Divock Origi needs to hit the ground running next season

Divock Origi

Liverpool are reportedly confident that Divock Origi will extend his current contract deal with the club to go beyond 2020.

Origi showed his worth to the first team on several occasions last season when he filled in for one of the first-choice front three and, more often than not, provided important goals when called upon.

The Reds’ forward line consists of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane so Origi has one of the toughest jobs in football trying to break into Liverpool’s first eleven. However, Jurgen Klopp is reportedly very happy with the Belgian international’s contribution and his ability to be effective in a short space of time.

Origi scored some memorable goals throughout the 2018/19 campaign. The strikes which really stand out were the late, late, late winner against Everton in early December, another late winner at Newcastle in May, his double against Barcelona in Liverpool’s memorable 4-0 Champions League (CL) semi-final win, and the goal to finish Spurs off in the CL final in Madrid.

Incredibly, Origi had three goal attempts during last season’s CL run for Liverpool and scored from all three. Although that’s a small sample size, it’s still a 100% record and shows the level of efficiency the former Lille player can operate at when called upon by Klopp.

For those who remember, Origi had actually been in a rich vein of form in the second half of the 2015/16 season, just months after Klopp had replaced outgoing manager Brendan Rodgers at the club.

In April 2016, after opening the scoring in a 4-0 demolition of Everton at Anfield, Origi was badly injured after a foul by The Toffees’ Funes Mori – a tackle which would see the Everton defender receive an immediate red card. It was eight months later before Origi was part of another Liverpool starting lineup.

As 2019/20 approaches, Origi has reportedly been told by Klopp that he will have a big part to play in Liverpool’s season, especially in the first couple of months.

All three of Salah, Firmino and Mane are in international competition this summer, representing, Egypt, Brazil and Senegal respectively. Salah and Mane will continue into the knockout stages of the AFCON while Firmino has already helped his country to progress to a Copa America semi-final which will be against Argentina this week.

If Origi can start the season at the level he has shown to be capable of then the 24-year-old could become Klopp’s go-to player as Salah and co gain some much-needed rest time after another hectic summer.

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