Liverpool will sit down with striker Divock Origi to discuss a new deal following his recent heroics on the pitch.
The Belgium striker was the main man during Tuesday night’s incredible victory against Barcelona as he scored twice—including the decisive goal— to send the Reds into the Champions League final.
The goals came just three days after his late header against Newcastle had kept Jurgen Klopp’s men in the Premier League title race. And according to reports, Liverpool are now hoping to reward the 24-year-old with new terms.
Origi has just 12 months left on his current deal and turned down the chance to leave Anfield in January after making Klopp’s starting line-up just once in the first half of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Liverpool were able to score their fourth and decisive goal against Barcelona thanks to an alert ball boy who was instructed to help restart the game as swiftly as possible during the Champions League semi-final, British media reported yesterday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quickly-taken corner while Barcelona’s defenders were still regrouping enabled an unmarked Divock Origi to fire home the goal that allowed Liverpool to advance to the final with a 4-3 aggregate win.
Liverpool analysts had watched how Barcelona players were always distracted when decisions went against them and the word was passed down to Carl Lancaster, a coaching mentor at the club’s academy, who asked the ball boys to serve their players quickly.
It was 14-year-old Oakley Cannonier who rolled a spare ball towards Alexander-Arnold when the Liverpool full-back won a corner, even as the first ball bounced back into play.
As Origi kicked the stray ball off the pitch, nobody marked him. Even goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was oblivious and still shouting instructions when the cross came in with Origi taking it first time to make it 4-0 and seal progress. It was a cheeky goal that even drew praise from former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas. “People will tell me it’s bad defending,” he wrote on Twitter. “I’m telling you it’s pure intelligence and vision.”
