Newcastle should go all out to sign Divock Origi in January
According to the Newcastle Chronicle, manager Rafael Benitez is thought to have enquired about the position out-of-favour Liverpool stars Divock Origi and Dominic Solanke.
Benitez is looking to bolster his options up front and has identified the winter transfer window as the key to Newcastle’s hopes of avoiding relegation this term. (h/t Newcastle Chronicle)
The same report claims that Divock Origi has been linked with a January move to Everton and Galatasaray and he won’t be available for a cheap deal if Newcastle intend to sign him. (h/t Newcastle Chronicle)
The Magpies have made a calamitous start to their Premier League campaign. In fact, Rafael men find themselves bottom of the league standings with only two points from their first nine games.
Having succumbed to defeats against some of the top teams in the Premier League in their first few games, Newcastle had the chance to turn their fortunes around when they faced Brighton this week. Despite keeping 68% of the possession, they couldn’t create enough clear-cut chances and when they did so they lacked someone to finish them off.
Quite clearly, Newcastle are in dire need of a quality centre-forward and a creative attacking midfielder. Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame have formed a good partnership in the heart of the midfield and the duo has kept the ball moving effectively. However, the failure of Ayoze Perez to spark some creativity has cost the team dearly.
The Spaniard has been rather quiet and ineffective and hasn’t had that creative influence that he is known for. Operating as a link between the attack and the defense in a 4-4-1-1 formation, he has failed to link-up the play with the strikers, losing possession way too easily.
Meanwhile, Yoshinori Muto does not seem to have the strength and the physicality to compete in the Premier League. The Japanese international missed a couple of rather straightforward chances against Brighton, something that should prompt the club hierarchy to invest in a striker.
Muto’s compatriot Joselu hasn’t done anything of note either. He scored against Chelsea with a header but has been very sluggish in the final third. Moreover, he does not drop deep to link-up the play to create chances.
Keeping in mind the financial constraints of the club, it would be foolish to expect a mega-money summer signing arriving at Tyneside in January. However, Divock Origi will be a good bargain for around 20-25 million.
Origi was signed by Liverpool from Losc Lille back in 2014 but he had to wait till the 2015-16 season to make his bow in the Premier League. He racked up quite a few goals and assists for the Reds during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons but fell out of favour under manager Jurgen Klopp, largely due to the presence of Roberto Firmino.
The Belgian hasn’t played any role for Jurgen Klopp’s side this term and Newcastle should try to lure him to Tyneside in January. Although he is not the most consistent of strikers in the league and does not have very good composure, he can bring in that energy to the final third. Newcastle need more energy and liveliness in the final third and Origi might be the ideal man for that purpose.
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The 23-year-old has a decent technique and likes to use his pace, strength and agility to beat the defenders. Standing at 6ft. 2 inches, he has the ability to time his jump to perfection, which makes him a potent threat from set-pieces.
That said, Newcastle should boost their funds to bolster their attacking options in January and Divock Origi should be one of the top priorities for manager Rafael Benitez in the mid-season transfer period.
