Speculation is mounting on a possible move to the MLS for Belgian forward Divock Origi as the AC Milan star looks set for a permanent exit from the San Siro in the near future. The former Liverpool man is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest but has failed to secure meaningful game time, and a move to the United States appears very likely.
The coming season looks set to be a pivotal one for the league, with Lionel Messi now bedded in at Inter Miami and Luis Suarez also joining the club and fans of the game stateside who want to place a wager on what is to come can make the most of the best MLS sportsbooks, where the range of betting opportunities are far wider than at other brands operating in the United States.
28-year-old Origi is something of a cult hero on Merseyside and is clearly a player well capable of making an impact in the MLS, having proven himself across Europe’s big leagues over the course of his career to date.
Brendan Rodgers signed Origi from Lille in 2014, but it was Jurgen Klopp who made the best use of the powerful attacker, chiefly as a backup option and one that proved very effective when necessary.
Champions League Hero
Origi made a total of 175 appearances for the Premier League side, albeit 107 of those were from the bench, and he scored 41 goals in that period, many of which were crucial. His two goals against FC Barcelona earned Liverpool a place in the UEFA Champions League Final, where he duly netted in the club’s victory over Tottenham.
He left to join AC Milan in July 2022, where he managed just two goals in 36 appearances before being loaned out to Forest. Among the MLS teams said to be considering a move for Origi are Los Angeles FC, Cincinnati and Dallas.
His loan move at Forest may end early as AC Milan seek to make money from a switch to MLS, where any loan move would include an obligation to buy, albeit for a paltry sum.
The MLS continues to push itself as the location for top European-based stars, and they have had to battle with Saudi Arabia for the best talents around, though one side is certainly seemingly capable of luring talents, and that’s Inter Miami.
With the likes of Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets already among the stars Gerardo Martino has to call upon in Miami, David Beckham’s franchise pushed the boat out further to land another legendary star, Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan joins his former Barca teammates, though, in the preseason, things are still yet to quite catch alight. Inter Miami played FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl in front of over 30,000 fans, but even with both Suarez and Messi playing together for an hour, Martino’s side lost 1-0, with Jesus Ferreira scoring the only goal of the game.
Next up for Inter Miami is a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Season Cup, where they will take on Al Hilal and Al Nassr, with the second of these clashes offering the marketing dream of a clash between Messi and his former La Liga foe, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The published material expresses the position of the author, which may not coincide with the opinion of the editor.