Before Claudio Ranieri was brought in on the 14th of November 2018, Fulham were struggling in the Premier League, both offensively and defensively. Top scorer Alexandre Mitrovic was struggling to find the back of the net, and then manager Slavisa Jokanovic could do nothing right. However, after Ranieri’s appointment, the club began to take shape and with the January transfer window open, it’s time to make improvements.
Daily Mail has revealed that the Cottagers are ready to launch a £15 million bid for Belgian star Divock Origi in the hopes of changing their season. But it also adds that manager Claudio Ranieri will have enough in his transfer budget to potentially bring in five stars. At the moment, their main target is the Liverpool striker, who has found himself dropped down the pecking order.
The 23-year-old returned from a loan spell with VFB Wolfsburg, where he showed what he could do in front of the goal in his first few months. He started well in the Bundesliga and got nominated for a Player of the Month award, scoring and assisting five goals in his first 11 games for the club before a dip in form. That’s been consistent with the 23-year-old’s performances for both Liverpool and Wolfsburg with him struggling to hit double figures since his arrival.
However, given the fact that he is only 23, Origi has time on his side and perhaps under Ranieri, he could find his footing once again. The talent and ability to score goals is clearly present as he scored 22 goals in 80 appearances for the Reds, all before the age of 22. Now this season, with Liverpool chasing after the Premier League title, it makes sense that Origi’s development takes back seat. Thus, a move might suit the Belgian.
He needs to make a comeback and find himself in the running for a place in the Belgian national team. To do that, he needs regular appearances. At the moment, that is not something he will find at Liverpool. A £15 million fee won’t be much of a profit on the €12.6 million Liverpool spent to sign him but it’s still something.
For Fulham, it allows them to have an option other than target man Alexander Mitrovic, who has done relatively well in front of the goal but has still struggled. His 8 goals have come in 21 appearances in the Premier League but that also includes two separate six-game droughts.
Thus, the Cottagers could benefit greatly from Origi’s presence.
