Liverpool must pay £4.7m to recall Divock Origi in January

Lille have confirmed Liverpool will have to pay a fee of £4.7m to bring Divock Origi to Anfield during the January transfer window.

Liverpool signed Origi, 19, for £10m during the summer but allowed the player to remain at the Ligue 1 club on loan for the 2014/15 season as part of the deal.

But Brendan Rodgers' side have desperately struggled up front in the absence of the injured Daniel Sturridge this season, prompting speculation the club will look to end the Belgian's loan spell and bring him to Merseyside ahead of schedule.

Lille however have refused to budge and insist Origi will continue at the club until the end of the season as planned, unless Liverpool are prepared to negotiate a larger fee for a player they have already purchased.

"Lille director Jean-Michel Vandamme is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail: "Origi to Liverpool now? It would cost at least £4.7m but at the moment it is not possible."

Vandamme's comment would suggest Liverpool are currently reluctant to pay an extra fee for their own player.

Amid speculation over his son's immediate future, the forward's father Mike Origi has also denied any knowledge of an approach from Liverpool and believes the player will finish his season in France.

"There have been no discussions yet between the clubs, not to our knowledge," Origi Snr told Belgian daily Het Niewsblad. "At present, the situation is that Divock has half a year remaining at Lille and we still have not received another message about anything else."

While Sturridge is expected to make his return later in January, the England international's persistent injuries this term could remain a worry for Rodgers. His other options up front in Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have failed to fill the void this term, contributing just a single Premier League goal between them since arriving at the club in the summer.