Aston Villa dodged a major bullet in the summer transfer window by not signing Liverpool striker Divock Origi.

What was the story?

The Daily Mirror claimed back in mid-August that Dean Smith's side were intent on bringing in a new striker, name-checking Ollie Watkins as one of their transfer targets.

It also added that Origi was another option for Villa, and that with the Belgian looking to get more first-team football in order to be on the plane for the EUROs next summer, that could have been a possibility for the club.

In the end, Villa sealed a big-money coup for Watkins, with Origi eventually staying put at Anfield.

Far too inconsistent for Dean Smith

When you think of Origi, you think back to his goals against the likes of Barcelona and Tottenham in the Champions League for Liverpool. The Belgium international has come up with some huge strikes for Liverpool, and naturally, that may skew some people's thinking about him.

In fact, after netting in the Merseyside derby against Everton, Phil Neville said: "He’s got a taste for the big games. He has made big contributions in big games."

But whilst he has shone brightest when the lights are on, he has just been far inconsistent for Villa boss Smith to actually have taken a punt on him in the summer. In total, Origi has managed just 35 goals in 142 games, and it's quite telling from Jurgen Klopp that the striker has yet to play a single minute of Premier League football this season.

Villa seem to have struck gold with Watkins, and in a £60k-a-week earning Origi, they would have been lumbered with someone who simply hasn't produced the goods week-in and week-out.