Liverpool Transfer News: Saido Berahino Rumours Fuelled, Divock Origi Latest

West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis has admitted that Saido Berahino could leave the club in the January transfer window if the club were to receive a sizeable offer.

The 21-year-old striker is enjoying a breakthrough campaign at the Hawthorns, and as noted by James Nursey of the Mirror, he has caught the attention of Liverpool. Per the aforementioned piece, Pulis wasn’t exactly boisterous in his intent to keep hold of the club’s prize asset.

“If a top club comes in then we will sit down and talk about it,” said the former Stoke City boss. “But it would take a lot of money I think.”

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The player himself fuelled speculation by choosing not to celebrate any of his four goals in the Baggies’ spectacular 7-0 win over Gateshead in the third round of the FA Cup, per Lee Clayton of the Daily Mail:

Here’s a look at those goals:

For Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, it’s easy to see where the attraction lies in Berahino. The Burundi-born forward is a skilful operator with blistering pace and a talent who would surely complete a dynamic forward line alongside Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling.

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But most pertinently for the Anfield outfit, Berahino is a player who looks to have developed a clinical edge in front of goal; he's scored 13 goals in all competitions so far this season, per WhoScored.com.

With the Reds languishing in eighth place at the moment, Rodgers will be looking for a player to come in and immediately add some impetus to the team’s attacking forays. And while Berahino is a fine long-term option and an exciting prospect, he’s not going to arrive at Anfield and make a considerable impact straight away.

Young players often take a lot of time to adapt to the surroundings of an illustrious club when they make that first big-money move, and the pressure on Berahino would be massive if he was sold for an enormous price tag mid-season. 

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With that in mind, perhaps Rodgers will look at other options. One player who poses an intriguing proposition is Divock Origi. The Reds loaned the young forward back to Lille after signing him in the summer, but according James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, the club will pay an extra £3 million in January to get him to Anfield as a matter of urgency.

But according to Lille director Jean-Michel Vandamme, a deal isn’t possible in the mid-season window, per Belgian football expert Kristof Terreur:

Origi is having a torrid season in Ligue 1. Lille are currently battling to avoid the drop, but despite this being a time for the players at the club to fight in unison for the cause, the Belgian doesn’t seem to have his head in the game. As noted by Bleacher Report’s Duncan Castles, his recent form leaves much to be desired:

As is the case with Berahino, Origi is an excellent long-term prospect, but the level of expectation on him would be massive should the Reds cut short his loan. It’d surely be better for the player to remain in France for a few more months, refine his craft and experience what it’s like to be in a real battle toward the end of the campaign.

But according to Mohamed Bouhafsi of RMC, Origi has given the go-ahead to terminate his loan an move to Liverpool, per Get French Football:

Given the aforementioned factors, Rodgers should target a player who’s a little more thoroughbred. Xherdan Shaqiri is a talent who has long been linked with the Reds, and although the Bayern Munich man is only a couple of years senior to Berahino, the Switzerland international is better primed to help the Reds gather some short-term momentum. 

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Here’s a look at exactly what kind of talents he could bring to Merseyside:

According to David Maddock of the Mirror, despite reports from Italy claiming that the player is on the brink of a switch to Serie A, Shaqiri is intrigued by the prospect of a move to Anfield. The German champions would also reportedly prefer to move the player on in a permanent deal rather than loan him out to Internazionale or Juventus.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe thinks the Switzerland international would be a fine purchase for the majority of sides in January:

Indeed, during his time at FC Basel, the 23-year-old showcased exceptional potential. Shaqiri’s an adaptive player capable of playing across the midfield, and he would add a raw, direct threat to compliment Liverpool’s swathes of intricate talents.

Sadly for the Reds, Inter look as though they’re the favourites for his signature. But with the Nerazzurri currently toiling down in 11th in the Serie A table, if a deal has not yet been done, surely the gravitas of Anfield and the lure of the Premier League means the Reds have a fair shot at getting Shaqiri on board in January.