West Ham United are ready to submit an enquiry regarding a potential deal for AC Milan striker Divock Origi, according to reports.
What's the latest on Origi's future?
David Moyes brought Danny Ings to the London Stadium in January, but with Gianluca Scamacca reportedly set to depart at the end of the season should the club get relegated – not to mention Michail Antonio coming close to leaving at the beginning of the year – a reinforcement will almost definitely be needed.
Belgium international Origi arrived at the San Siro on a free transfer from Premier League outfit Liverpool last summer, but he’s not made the impact he would have been hoping for. The Serie A forward has recorded just six league starts this season and is seriously out of favour under Stefano Pioli, who has Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his main attacking options.
The Rossoneri attacker’s contract isn’t set to expire for another three years, so a deal probably won’t come cheap given his side’s strong negotiating position – but that hasn’t stopped Moyes from giving it a go.
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it (via Sport Witness), West Ham, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are “ready to believe” in Origi, who could be set to “say goodbye” to AC Milan. The Irons are believed to “appreciate” the 27-year-old ahead of a possible move in the upcoming transfer window.
Meanwhile, Anfield’s former veteran would be “keen” to return to the top flight should the “right offer” come up for him, and it’s stated that he would be “willing to part ways” to receive game time elsewhere.
Should West Ham splash the cash on Origi?
Origi may seem like a player who’s past his sell-by date given the amount of times he’s been around the block, but he is still more than capable of being a top centre-forward when given a consistent run of form.
The Nike-sponsored star already has plenty of experience in the top flight during his time at Liverpool, where he scored 41 goals and provided 18 assists on Merseyside, as per Transfermarkt – form which at the time saw the £87k-p/w talent dubbed a “monster” by his ex-manager Jurgen Klopp.
The 6 foot 2 forward also helped the Reds secure six trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League, so knows what it takes to be successful and what a team has to do in order to compete for silverware at the highest level, so we think West Ham should absolutely make an offer to bring him to E20.
