One of the youngest stars to make a name for himself at this summer’s World Cup is Belgium striker Divock Origi. According to the Independent, Liverpool have agreed a fee of around £10 million with French club Lille in order to sign him.
The 19-year-old forward managed to displace Romelu Lukaku in the starting lineup for his country as they impressively reached the quarter-finals. Considering the tournament in Brazil was the first the nation had competed in for 12 years, having also failed to qualify for any of the European Championships in that period, the side’s progression was a sign of a bright future for Belgium.
Origi is now central to Belgian fans’ hopes of seeing their country not only qualify but succeed in international competitions. Euro 2016 is the next one up and, with their neighbours France hosting it, there may be more of a homely feel to it for the team than this year’s trip to South America. As well as their young players gaining a couple more years of experience, playing in familiar conditions could help Belgium do even better.
One way of Origi ensuring he continues to be picked for the national side is to play regularly for a top European club. Joining the Reds would certainly be a step in the right direction on that front.