Deal Imminent
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Los Angeles FC seem to have found what they were looking for in their search for a new center forward. According to various sources, Divock Origi is moving to LAFC on loan. Origi is currently on loan from AC Milan to Nottingham Forest. Sky Sports reported that this loan is set to be terminated. The report then added that the loan deal with LAFC includes a purchase obligation of €5m that will be triggered at the end of his loan.
Origi joined Nottingham Forest on loan in September last year. However, he was never really happy at the Reds. He only played a total of 177 minutes without scoring a goal or making an assist. For the 28-year-old, a move to the MLS would be an opportunity to revive his career. Origi, who comes from LOSC’s youth ranks, is best known for his time at Liverpool. Although he never got beyond the role of a rotation player there, he repeatedly scored important goals, such as a brace in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona and a goal in the final against Tottenham in 2019.
Origi’s market value rose to a maximum of €20m during this time. As quickly as his rise was, he also fell out of favor again. Two seasons with only a handful of games followed. His market value fell to €12m. Before the start of the current season, the Rossoneri signed two center forwards in Luka Jovic and Noah Okafor, which further reduced Origi’s chances of playing.
Have Los Angeles FC finally found a real center forward?
The signing of Origi could finally close a gap for LAFC. With Nathan Ordaz, the Los Angeles-based club only have one real center forward on their roster. Last season, they were unable to find a genuine replacement for Cristian Arango, who left the club after scoring 35 goals in 58 games. Mario González, who was signed for €3m in the middle of the season, never lived up to expectations and has been loaned out to Sporting Gijón.
But where did it all go wrong for Origi in the Premier League and could he rejuvenate his career in MLS? “Origi enjoys cult hero status at Liverpool but attacking numbers don’t really justify that acclaim,” Transfermarkt UK Content Manager Euan Robertson said. “The Belgian spent seven years on the books at Anfield but he only scored 41 goals in 175 games. The 28-year-old moved to AC Milan in the summer of 2022 but he flopped massively with just two goals in 36 games. Origi returned to the Premier League this summer with Nottingham Forest but he’s failed to make an impression, or score a single goal. Origi needs to rejuvenate his career and a club where he will play regularly and Los Angeles FC could prove the perfect opportunity.”.
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