Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie revealed that he is not keen on the idea of his old club signing Liverpool striker Divock Origi in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.
Origi is currently being linked with a move to Villa Park, a development that could see him leave the Reds and find more first-team football.
Opportunities for the 25-year-old striker have been limited this season, with Jurgen Klopp understandably sticking with his trusted trident of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
The trio helped fire Liverpool to their first English league title in 30 years last term, cementing positions in Klopp’s starting XI. Origi, as a result, has had to settle for a role on the bench, making it little surprise that he could leave the Merseyside club in the summer.
Hendrie, however, has warned Aston Villa about signing the 6 ft 1 Belgium international, believing his acquisition would be a gamble.
“Definitely not for me, not at all,” the ex-Villa player told FFC when asked whether his former side should pursue Origi. “I’ve obviously watched a lot of Liverpool over past seasons and, you know, he’s been brilliant when he’s been introduced.
“We’ve seen him in the Champions League make a big impact, but he hasn’t played enough minutes for me. It’d be half taking a gamble. I’m not saying he’s not worth taking a gamble, but he’s not the sort of player that I think would fit the bill for Villa.”
Hendrie concluded by saying: “Not for me, and I certainly wouldn’t even recommend to the club that they bought Origi – he’s not my sort of player.”
Should Villa decide to bring Origi in, the former Lille forward would be going up against Ollie Watkins for a spot in Dean Smith’s team, a player who has really impressed this season.
Watkins has reached double figures in the current Premier League campaign and recently earned his first call-up to the England squad.