Divock Origi faces awkward reunion with old rival if he completes MLS transfer

28 January 2024 , 00:14

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Divock Origi has endured a miserable spell with Nottingham Forest (Image: Getty Images)

Former Liverpool star Divock Origi could be set for an awkward reunion with Hugo Lloris should he seal a move to MLS.

The Belgian striker is currently in the middle of a loan spell with Nottingham Forest. He joined the Reds from AC Milan but it has gone disastrously so far.

Origi has yet to open his goalscoring account for the Midlands side in nine appearances. The former Lille man could be offered a route out of his nightmare by MLS side LAFC.

According to reports in Italy, they are looking to sign him this January. AC Milan are happy to sell, so long as they receive around €5million (£4.7m) for his signature.

Should a deal go through, he will become teammates with Lloris after the French stopper also completed a move to America following his exit from Tottenham. Origi inflicted a fair bit of pain on the World Cup winner earlier in his career.

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The two were opponents as their former sides Liverpool and Tottenham faced off in the 2019 Champions League final. Mohamed Salah had given the Reds the lead with a controversial early penalty.

Origi then broke Tottenham's hearts by powering home late on to secure Liverpool their sixth European crown. Lloris made his disappointment known after the final whistle.

Divock Origi celebrates his goal vs Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League final (Getty Images)

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Speaking to BFM TV, he said: "It's always painful to lose a match of such importance. It's hard to start the game this way but we did not get deflated, we played with our principles.

"We were a little too shy before and woke up in the last 15 minutes. It's a shame. We tried to do what we normally do but it was easy to defend for Liverpool."

Elsewhere, Origi found it tough to hide his delight shortly after being crowned a European champion. Speaking with TNT, the striker said: "It's unbelievable. Winning a Champions League is so hard.

"Today we're here, we pulled together with the team and supporters and we have to celebrate all together. I think we just did it as a team, we made a positive step forward. We kept improving ourselves and we used the experiences of the past for now. We have a good mix of talent and experienced players and today was just about enjoying it and we did."

Following his Champions League heroics, Origi was at Liverpool for a further three seasons before leaving for AC Milan on a free transfer in 2022. He scored just two goals during his debut season at the San Siro. Forest have an option to buy him on a permanent basis but appear unlikely to pursue a deal. His contract with Milan runs until 2026.

Daniel Orme