Liverpool Transfer News: Divock Origi Wants January Move, Reds Plan Lille Offer

Belgium international Divock Origi may be lining up for Liverpool after the January transfer window after all, following a confession from the Lille star that he would happily make the switch.

The forward scored a fabulous goal in Belgium's recent 3-1 win over Iceland and later confirmed that, while he's prepared to stay at Lille, he'd be open to the idea of moving to the Premier League for the second part of the season.

The Daily Mail's Dominic King reports Liverpool are ready to test Lille's resolve, quoting Origi saying:

"

It is not me who makes the decisions but if the club choose to let me go in January I would go, I would like to join Liverpool then.

I said I would stay for the whole season and I wish to remain honourable in that, of course. But if there was a decision by the clubs, I would not say I wouldn’t like to go to Liverpool in January. Brendan Rodgers is in contact, he (speaks) regularly, he wants to know how I am feeling.

[...] I would love to move to Liverpool sooner rather than later. I am here at Lille. It’s fine, they are a good club and they have helped me. But I can’t wait to be playing in the Premier League because I can now see that it will suit me better. I think there are good things waiting for me with Liverpool.

"

The 19-year-old was allowed to go out on loan to continue developing his skills as Liverpool didn't appear to be lacking in the scoring department, but injuries to star forward Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli's lack of form have greatly held back Brendan Rodgers' side.

The Italian is yet to score his first Premier League goal, netting just once in the Champions League and once in the Capital One Cup, and the Reds have scored a pedestrian 14 league goals as a result, via WhoScored.com.

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Origi's scoring form hasn't been sensational either, with six goals across all competitions, via WhoScored. But the forward is developing a lot faster than was originally anticipated, and at this point in time, he couldn't do any worse than the likes of Balotelli and Rickie Lambert.

Perhaps the biggest issue facing the Reds is the lack of creativity in the attacking third, with teams keying in on Raheem Sterling and forcing the attackers to create for themselves. As he showed against Iceland, that's not a problem for the Belgian:

Origi's lack of experience means a January recall may not be the wisest move, however. For all of his potential, the teenager has just three goals in Ligue 1 this season, a competition viewed as far inferior to the Premier League.

Whether he's ready to contribute for the Reds is debatable, and a question that won't be answered until he actually puts on a Liverpool shirt. The safe route remains keeping him in France for the season, ensuring he will see consistent playing time even after Sturridge returns and Balotelli potentially regains form.

Origi isn't the only party who needs to sign off on an early recall—Lille would have to agree to a deal as well, and the French outfit won't be too keen to let their talented forward go, particularly given the fact they currently sit dangerously close to the relegation zone, per WhoScored.

Lille will need the services of Origi to ensure they finish in the European spots in 2014-15, and as a result, the added fee necessary to bring him to Anfield in January will likely have to be substantial.

The Belgian won't rule out anything, but he seems to believe he'll stay with Lille for now:

Given the (likely) steep cost of bringing Origi to Liverpool in January and the risk he may not make the transition seamlessly, the potential rewards of letting him develop in France are still too great to complete a deal right now.

If the Reds continue to struggle in front of goal and the 19-year-old continues his progression, however, there likely won't be many deals the club could make as enticing as bringing him to Anfield prematurely.

Origi is willing to show the fans what he can do—whether he's ready remains to be seen, but the Liverpool faithful may find out sooner rather than later.

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