“It’s a wonderful piece of recruitment" - Alex McLeish believes Liverpool have plan in place to replace Divock Origi

Three-time Scottish top flight-winning manager Alex McLeish believes Liverpool already have their replacement for Divock Origi in new arrival Luis Diaz.

Origi looks set to leave Anfield in the summer, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season. Football Insider has reported that there are no talks about an extension, with AC Milan are reportedly close to acquiring the Belgian.

Origi has often been used as an impact substitute by Jurgen Klopp, behind the Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. However, the arrival of Diogo Jota in 2020 and Diaz this year have seemingly pushed Origi further down the pecking order. The club could let him leave this summer.

In a conversation with Football Insider, McLeish praised Origi for his contributions to the Reds, saying:

“He came back in last season, scored a few important goals for Liverpool and got some big praise from the manager. But he’s in a really important part of his career now, and he’ll be wanting to move on.”

The Scotsman added that Diaz is a solid replacement for Origi and lauded Liverpool's transfer business. McLeish opined:

“However, they’ve brought Diaz in, and he’s just fit in seamlessly. That was the final nail in the coffin for Origi – you can understand why he wants to go. It’s a wonderful piece of recruitment. That’s the way Liverpool work.”

The 63-year-old concluded:

“You’d think that they’d have someone in place for when Origi leaves. They’ll have their eyes on the ball; there’s no doubt about it.”

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Divock Origi will go down as a Liverpool cult hero

Origi has played a crucial role in the Reds' recent success in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

He netted eight goals in 22 appearances across competitions during the 2018-19 campaign. That included a clutch brace against Barcelona at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and a goal in the final of the competition against Tottenham Hotspur.

Origi then bagged four goals and three assists in 28 Premier League games in the 2019-20 campaign. Those contributions eventually helped Liverpool break their 30-year league title drought. He has scored 40 goals in eight years at Anfield.

The Belgian has played just 14 times this season, averaging less than 40 minutes per appearance. Nevertheless, Origi has scored five times and set up three goals. He registered two goals and an assist in three games during the Reds' successful run to the Carabao Cup title as well.

Thanks to his exploits over the last few years, Origi is bound to exit Anfield as a cult hero admired by fans.