An update has emerged on Newcastle United transfer target Divock Origi, regarding Liverpool's plans for him ahead of the January window.

What's the talk?

According to Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson, Jurgen Klopp is set to veto any potential deal for the Belgian international as he wants him to remain at Anfield.

The report claims the Reds want to keep hold of Origi ahead of the African Cup of Nations, which will see Mo Salah and Sadio Mane miss a number of Premier League matches, despite the Magpies believing he would be interested in a move.

Gutting

This news will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling gutted as it appears to rule out any chance of the attacker arriving at St. James' Park in January. Eddie Howe reportedly wants to sign players with experience of playing in the Premier League, which is why Origi could have been an ideal target for the club with his previous form in the division and his current lack of game time.

He has only played 16 minutes in the top-flight this season and made nine appearances last term for the Reds, suggesting that he could have been a player the club would be able to tempt away from Anfield. That is why this update on Klopp wanting to keep hold of him is surprising, and gutting for Newcastle as his minutes on the pitch do not suggest that he is a serious first-team option.

Since the start of the 2015/16 campaign, Origi has scored 20 Premier League goals in 34 starts for Liverpool - with a number of appearances off the bench in that time. This shows that he could have the potential to be a regular goalscorer if handed minutes on a consistent week-in-week-out basis, as he has been able to chip in with goals for Klopp despite his limited involvement.

Former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany once hailed his compatriot and lauded his work rate in training. He said: “He (Origi) is very gifted and talented. Technically, he’s a monster. More importantly, he is an outstanding worker in training. I see him working like crazy.”

This high praise from the retired centre-back adds to the pedigree of the £10.8m-rated beast and further illustrates why fans will be gutted that he appears set to stay at Liverpool, instead of joining Newcastle. He has Premier League experience and could have bolstered the squad, given his statistics, but Howe will now need to look elsewhere...

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