Divock Origi and Mamadou Sakho leave Liverpool

Belgian striker joins Wolfsburg on loan while Sakho has made the switch back to Palace

Liverpool’s Divock Origi during a training session at Melwood Training Ground, Liverpool. Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire
Liverpool’s Divock Origi during a training session at Melwood Training Ground, Liverpool. Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

Liverpool have announced striker Divock Origi has joined Bundesliga side Wolfsburg on loan until the end of the season.

Belgium international Origi, 22, has had little game time at Anfield this season, making one substitute’s appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“Liverpool FC can confirm that Divock Origi has completed a season-long loan move to Wolfsburg,” the Merseyside club confirmed on their official website.

Liverpool paid French side Lille £10million (€10.8m) to sign Origi in July 2014 when he was still a teenager and in his three-year spell at Anfield he has scored 21 goals in 77 appearances.

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But he has dropped down the pecking order in Klopp's squad following the arrival of Dominic Solanke earlier this summer and was not included in the match-day squad for last weekend's 4-0 defeat of Arsenal.

Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen had also been reported to have shown an interest in Origi, who can expect regular game time under Wolfsburg boss Andries Jonker.

Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho is undergoing a medical at Crystal Palace after they had a £26million (€28.2m) bid accepted.

The France defender spent the second half of last season on loan at Selhurst Park having fallen out of favour with manager Jurgen Klopp over a number of disciplinary issues last summer, and a return south was always the player's preferred option.

Liverpool had been holding out for £30m but after turning down £22m plus £3m in add-ons on Wednesday — Palace’s third offer — the Reds decided to cut their losses on a player whom they have been trying to offload for a year.