Liverpool Transfer News: Vincent Kompany's Divock Origi Praise Exciting for Reds

Despite enjoying a prolific run of scoring in 2014, Liverpool striker Divock Origi is still something of an unknown quantity to the Premier League, but Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany gives the striker high praise.

Kompany acts as Origi's captain in the Belgian national team, and the centre-back has only positive things to say of the starlet following an impressive 2014 World Cup, per the Liverpool Echo's Kristian Walsh:

“He is very gifted and talented. Technically, he’s a monster. More importantly, he is an outstanding worker in training. I see him working like crazy. If he continues in this way, in a few years he will be among the five or ten best strikers in the world."

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Origi is spending the 2014-15 campaign back on loan with former club Lille, scoring three goals in four Ligue 1 starts for the French giants, per Squawka.

It's the kind of presence Brendan Rodgers may well wish he had right now, given that Daniel Sturridge is unfit and between them, Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini are unable to unearth a consistent scoring threat.

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In the long run, however, Origi promises to bring an intriguing prospect to Anfield, and even if the first year of his £10 million investment is spent in France, it would appear to be paying off.

Rodgers is keeping a close eye on his development, too, according to the forward himself. Earlier this month, Origi was quoted by Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo as saying:

"

The Liverpool manager regularly sends me a text message. They follow me and scouts attend all my games. Rodgers wanted to add me to his squad immediately, but Lille wanted me to stay for 1 more season. I had no choice.

It’s not that I don’t want to go to Liverpool, I have ambitions. But it’s an advantage I’m at Lille for a season where I can continue to develop and play a lot. That’s the positive side of the story.

"

It's an awfully mature approach for a player who saw things transpire out of his control but is undoubtedly taking all obstacles in his stride, and even thriving upon that adversity.

At the World Cup, the 19-year-old stepped up to the plate on several occasions where Romelu Lukaku could not, proving to be the more impressive of the pair in the absence of the injured Christian Benteke.

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Already, the teenager has a wealth of experience to his name in major international competition and at the club level, with Kompany's comments only further compounding what a specimen he could one day become.

Former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchinson believes Origi would have proven a better alternative to Balotelli, had he been permitted a move to Merseyside this season:

Rodgers is obviously keen to induct the player as quickly as possible, too, as per quotes from ESPN's John Brewin:

With the departure of Luis Suarez still smarting, Liverpool are very much still on the lookout for that special something up front. At 19 years of age, if ever, one can't expect Origi to fill those boots, but it's clear his potential is building into a commodity worth possessing.

Until his arrival, the Reds will bide their time and make do with the assets at hand, but there's an inevitable sense of excitement building toward 2015-16, when they can finally make use of their Belgian wunderkind.