OPINION
If there were some Liverpool fans who were still unsure of whether attacker Divock Origi should be awarded a new contract or not, those doubts surely dissipated into the Madrid night on Saturday.
The Belgian international, so long a peripheral figure at Anfield, has become the biggest of big game players, something that was in evidence once again in the Spanish capital.
Origi clambered off the bench mid-way through the second half to rifle home a late second goal that secured a 2-0 win for the Reds’ over Tottenham Hotspur and ensured that their name would be on the famous Champions League trophy for a sixth time.
Earlier this month Football Insider reported that Liverpool had opened contract talks with the 24-year-old, who has a year to play on his current deal.
And, after his huge impact against Spurs, Jurgen Klopp and co. need to kick those talks into overdrive. It’s time they tied the former Lille man down, and there’s no better moment to do so than in the glow of his crucial Champions League final contribution.
Obviously it’s going to take a few days for the madness surrounding the club to die down, but once it does Origi’s contract talks must be the first thing on the agenda.
He deserves to stay on Merseyside, he’s proven that over the past couple of months. The man is an expert in scoring vital goals, why wouldn’t you want someone like that in your squad?
He seems to be a hard worker, too, seemingly content with his role behind the Reds’ fearsome front three. Origi simply waits for his chances, and then dispatches them like an expert sniper.
The decision, once tricky, has been made easy. Liverpool have to retain the big Belgian, and a new contract is the ideal way of rewarding him for his efforts this season.
