His iconic goals against Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham made him a cult hero at Anfield but, after three difficult years at AC Milan, former Liverpool striker Divock Origi appears set for an ignominious departure from the San Siro.
The 30-year-old Belgian, who signed a four-year deal with the Rossoneri after joining on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, is close to reaching an agreement to terminate his contract with 12 months remaining, according to reports in Italy.
What happened to Divock Origi after he left Liverpool?
His impending departure follows a turbulent post-Liverpool career that saw Origi struggle to settle in Milan, where he scored just twice in 36 appearances in his first season.
He was loaned out to Nottingham Forest the following season but fared little better for Steve Cooper’s side, struggling to make an impression in the lower reaches of the Championship.
The arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach midway through the season did nothing to improve Origi’s lot, but a return of one goal from 22 appearances was not enough to persuade Forest to activate an option to buy.
Origi returned to Italy that summer but his name did not appear on the pre-season squad list and it soon emerged that he had been consigned to Milan Futuro, the club’s youth squad.
‘A world-class striker and Liverpool’s best finisher’
It marked a dramatic fall from grace for a player who endeared himself to the Anfield faithful by scoring half a dozen goals against Everton and a brace against Barcelona as Liverpool overturned a 3-0 deficit to reach the 2019 Champions League final.
Origi would find the net again in the climactic showdown against Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid, and by the time he left Liverpool three seasons later his stock was high.
But the Belgian’s dream of emerging from the long shadow cast by fellow Liverpool front men Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané – who described Origi as “a world-class striker and our best finisher” – was not to be.
Having reached an agreement with Milan to work alone with a fitness coach, Origi has spent the past year sidelined from the club, remaining in Italy purely for tax reasons.
Milan will reportedly pay the striker half of his remaining salary, following which he will attempt to find a new club.
