Rumour Mongering: Newcastle United Want Divock Origi

Divock Origi remains something of a conundrum for Liverpool Football Club, with the now 26-year-old striker seemingly too good to be stuck down the depth chart but with little realistic chance of him beating out the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, and Diogo Jota for playing time.

It’s a situation that has been ongoing for some time now, one that has led to frequent rumours of a potential departure in the past. Now, flush with oil riches after becoming the public relations wing for a human rights abusing petrostate, Newcastle United are said to be interested in a January move for the Belgian.

However, according to The Northern Echo, relegation-threatened Newcastle are only interested in Origi on loan. It’s difficult to see how such a deal would have any value for the Reds given Origi is under contract until 2024 and the club will lose Mané and Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations in the new year.

Add in the well documented discontent at other clubs in England concerning the sale of Newcastle United to Saudi Arabia—and rumours that many aren’t especially eager to do business with them—and it seems especially odd that such a move would even be proposed by that club’s paper of record.

Given AFCoN, Origi’s contract status, and that Liverpool’s long-term prospects would likely be best served by Newcastle United being relegated this season, one imagines that the only way the club would consider a deal would be if it involved Newcastle paying well over the odds for a permanent transfer.