According to Liverpool Echo yesterday, Liverpool were close to reaching an agreement with Lille, that would allow them to terminate the loan of Divock Origi and bring the player to Merseyside in January.

The report stated that although an agreement has not been reached, the talks between both clubs have been positive and Liverpool expect to negotiate an early return successfully.

Rumours in the English media stated that the Reds were willing to part with a sum of 3 million pounds in order to terminate the loan of the young Belgian forward. Also, it was reported that the player is keen on a early move to Merseyside after an unpleasant start to the season in France.

However, according to reputed journalist, Tony Barrett of The Times, Liverpool are far from securing an early return for Divock Origi. The Merseyside based journalist confirmed on his twitter account that the clubs are far apart in their valuations and that Lille are looking for a bigger premium than Liverpool are willing to pay.

No real breakthrough in Liverpool’s attempts to recruit Origi this month. Lille are seeking a bigger premium than Liverpool willing to pay.

— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) January 5, 2015

The Reds are in desperate need of a striker and have been forced to play Raheem Sterling as the makeshift striker over the last few weeks. However, should they fail to reach an agreement with Lille, Brendan Rodgers can find comfort in the fact that Daniel Sturridge is set to be back later this month.