Crystal Palace are looking to continue their summer rebuild with the capture of Liverpool outcast Divock Origi.
According to Birmingham Mail, Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United are locked in a three-way battle for the Belgian striker.
Liverpool have a wealth of attacking options at their disposal which means Origi will not earn much playing time this season.
The Belgian has struggled to break into the first-team ever since his arrival from Lille in 2014. Despite that, he made over 150 appearances for the Reds in all competitions, scoring 35 goals and providing 14 assists.
Origi remains a favourite among Liverpool fans for his heroics in the Champions League in 2018-19. The 26-year-old grabbed a brace to help Liverpool overturn a three-goal first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the semi-finals. He then netted in the final against Tottenham Hotspur, helping the Reds seal a sixth European crown.
But he has failed to kick on since then and is now set to be shipped out. Origi, who has three years left on his current contract, is expected to be available for a fee of around £20 million.
Divock Origi to Crystal Palace – A good option for Vieira?
New Palace manager Patrick Vieira has been extremely busy in the transfer market since replacing Roy Hodgson this summer. The Eagles have already roped in the likes of Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Michael Olise and Conor Gallagher (loan) and are keen on strengthening further ahead of the transfer deadline.
Palace were heavily reliant on Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze for creativity and goals last season. Zaha, in fact, enjoyed the best season of his career in terms of goals, netting 11 times in the league.
Christian Benteke and Jordan Ayew have struggled to score on a regular basis, while Jean-Philippe Mateta has not yet adapted to the rigors of the Premier League. Origi’s arrival will certainly ease some of Crystal Palace’s goal-scoring woes.
The Belgian could prove to be a fantastic addition to the Eagles squad. Origi has plenty of Premier League experience and an uncanny ability to raise his game on the big occasions.
The 26-year-old is quick and clever at finding spaces in between the defenders. He is also a decent finisher and can provide Palace with around 15 goals per season. He is versatile and can play out wide or up front as a lone striker.
At 26, Origi has plenty of top-level football left in him and his arrival could help Palace push for an unlikely top-half finish.
