OPINION
Liverpool attacker Divock Origi is stuck in a rut at Anfield, and his failure to kick on after his Merseyside derby winner in December is evidence of that.
If ever the Belgian was going to make a success of his time at Liverpool then he needed to make an impact over the past month, and he’s failed to do that.
Now it appears that Ligue 1 side Nantes are interested in the 23-year-old. Former Nantes employee Emmanuel Merceron claimed on his personal Twitter account that Vahid Halilhodži’s side want to bring Origi in on loan.
Parce que la vie continue, mais pas trop envie de m'attarder : le #FCNantes regarde Divock Origi (Liverpool) pour un prêt. Salaire astronomique, grosse concurrence européenne, archi compliqué mais sur un malentendu… Le FCN aimerait faire un coup pour son nouvel avant-centre.
— Emmanuel Merceron (@ManuMerceron) January 26, 2019
The Reds should be doing everything possible to get Origi out of the club, even if it is only on loan. A spell away from the club would allow the youngster to receive regular football and hopefully find top form again, which would then lead to him potentially securing a permanent move away from Merseyside in the summer.
It’s clear that the player has no future at Anfield. There is simply no way that he is getting past Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane for first team appearances. You’ve then got players like Xherdan Shaqiri and, as of next season, Harry Wilson who can came in and feature in the team’s fluid frontline.
So there will then be no spot in the first team squad for Origi. Liverpool have tried to shift him before and they will again, but in the meantime a spell at Nantes would do all parties the world of good.
Nantes are obviously in need of a new striker after selling top scorer Emiliano Sala to Cardiff City earlier this month, before his tragic disappearance. Origi could be the man to come in and continue their Ligue 1 push in the second half of the season.
The move would work for the French side and for Liverpool as well, while it would allow Origi to find his top form again in a league where he has significant experience. It’s a no brainer – let’s hope it comes to fruition.
