Watford won’t regret losing Richarlison if they swoop on £26m-rated Liverpool attacker

Why Watford must sign Divock Origi following Richarlison’s departure

Watford have made a number of signings to bolster the squad ahead of the new campaign. However, Richarlison’s departure to Watford will certainly affect the club to an extent.

Javi Gracia must make a strong start this season after landing the likes of Gerard Deulofue, Ken Sema, Ben Foster and Marc Navarro. With a little over a week left for the Premier League’s transfer window to slam shut, the manager is reportedly not done with his business in the market.

The Hornets need someone to fill the void left by Richarlison. Reports suggest that Gracia is interested in signing Liverpool striker Divock Origi. It has widely been suggested that the Belgian could leave the club after failing to break into the first-team under Jurgen Klopp.

Origi was a regular feature under former manager Brendan Rodgers but he hasn’t been able to make it work under Klopp. He was subsequently loaned out to Bundesliga outfit VFL Wolfsburg last year, where he scored 6 goals and provided 2 assists in 31 appearances.

Liverpool are reportedly quoting a £26million price tag. Watford are also not too keen on paying the fee to land the player, given that it will take out a huge chunk of their budget.

Gracia seems more interested in taking the player on loan for a season. If the move works out well, the manager could then make the transfer permanent next season. Origi made a total of just 51 appearances in the Premier League since his arrival in 2014, scoring 12 goals in that time.

The striker possesses a number of qualities that could help him flourish under Gracia. He is generally deployed as an out-and-out striker but the Belgian is also capable of playing on the flanks, just like Richarlison.

Origi is a direct, no-nonsense kind of player whose surges down the middle often pose a huge threat for opposition defenders. He’s also strong and agile in the air and quite dangerous from set-pieces. The 23-year-old is also excellent at linking up with his teammates.

Read more: Watford could bag a coup by beating Newcastle to the signature of this versatile 6’2″ free agent

Troy Deeney has finally come of age and the striker will be unable to play on a regular basis from now. With Richarlison gone, Gracia could sign Origi ahead of the new campaign. The Belgian would provide the Hornets with much-needed depth and cover in the attacking department.