“We do need somebody a little bit better”: Former Red wants Liverpool to upgrade on player | OneFootball

Former Red Phil Thompson believes that Liverpool need to upgrade on striker Divock Origi come the next transfer window.

Origi signed for Liverpool from Lille for a transfer fee of £10 million back in 2014.

Since signing for the club, Origi has made 134 appearances, which shows that he is considered a valuable player by Liverpool.

However, Thompson has stated that Liverpool need to upgrade on the Belgian come the next transfer window, as he believes that the club need a player that can challenge the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

Thompson believes that RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner is the player that the Reds need.

Thompson told Sky Sports: “I think he’ll give a realistic challenge to the front three. Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino – they look as though they’re set.

“We do have Divock Origi but I think everybody realises that he’s more of an impact player, for sort of the last 15, 20 minutes – but that’s not really good enough.

“We do need somebody a little bit better.”

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ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

I do agree with Thompson that Liverpool do need someone to challenge the front three. It would ultimately keep things fresh and allow the attacking players to be rotated.

However, I still feel Origi has a role to play at the club regardless of whether someone else comes in or not.

Origi has been a squad player for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp over the past two seasons, and he has excelled playing that particular role.

In fact, Genk technical director Dimitri de Conde believes that Origi is the “perfect” squad player.

The Belgian has scored 12 goals across the past two seasons, which is not a bad return for someone is not a regular starter.

Thompson claims that Origi is an “impact player”. I like that from a substitute. You want players to come off the bench and make a difference.

There are a few examples from the 2018-19 season which show that Origi has excelled as a squad player at Liverpool. He has made an impact in some very important games.

The Belgian scored the winner in the Premier League Merseyside derby at Anfield. He scored the winner in the Premier League clash against Newcastle United at St James’ Park to keep Liverpool in the title race.

There were also the two goals that he scored against Barcelona in the Champions League. On that night, he managed to fill the void of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, as they were both out of the game injured.

However, the one goal that stands out for me is his strike in the Champions League final to bury Tottenham Hotspur.

The aforementioned examples show that he is a very handy player that should not be taken for granted.