Striker Divock Origi has been preparing for his arrival at Liverpool by getting advice from goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
The 20-year-old was loaned back to Lille after he was signed for £10million last summer and, while manager Brendan Rodgers and some of the Reds’ coaching staff have been keeping in contact, he has found his Belgium team-mate to be useful in providing inside information.
“Simon has helped me a lot and given me a lot of information about the city,” he told liverpoolfc.com.
“It’s always nice to have someone in the team that you know and who speaks the same language, but obviously I speak some English also, so I hope the integration will be okay.
“I am sure there is a good atmosphere within the group. Simon told me the team is very human and that’s very good to hear. I have no worries about that.
“Some people from the team’s management have also sent me some messages and let me know they’re watching all the games.
“It’s very nice to have the team supporting me and watching often.”
Origi has scored seven goals in 28 matches for the Ligue 1 side this season, but he will be expected to make another step up in performances when he is integrated into Liverpool’s first team.
While Daniel Sturridge, fitness allowing, will still be the number one striker, Origi will be required to have a greater impact than the trio of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have done this season, having contributed just four Premier League goals between them.
All three are likely to leave in the summer, Lambert having rejected the chance to move to the Reds’ FA Cup semi-final conquerors Aston Villa in January.
The chances of defender Kolo Toure signing a new one-year contract extension appear to be diminishing.
Toure, Press Association Sport understands, is considering his options after 13 years in England and, having received at least one lucrative offer from Turkey last summer, the 34-year-old former Ivory Coast international may decide it is now time for a new challenge.
Raheem Sterling, Liverpool’s leading league scorer with only seven goals, is stalling on his contract offer, with talks not set to resume until the end of the season, but reports have suggested Jordon Ibe, a year younger at 19, is on the verge of signing a new five-year contract after his first-team breakthough.
Press Association Sport understands the formalisation of his agreement is not imminent, but there is some good news on the horizon with Jordan Henderson, Liverpool’s captain-elect with Steven Gerrard departing for Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer, due to sign his new deal in the next 48 hours.
Ibe has been a revelation since coming into the side after returning from a loan spell at Derby and he hopes to establish a regular place by impressing on the club’s pre-season tour to Australia and Malaysia.
“It’s really important to get into the gaffer’s mind of who could be in the starting XI for the first Premier League game, and just do well and keep your fitness up,” Ibe told LFCTour.com.
“I’m looking forward to it a lot.”
Liverpool’s last appearance in Asia saw thousands of supporters turn out and Ibe hopes to be inspired by the fanatical following.
“If they have a lot of fans then some (young) players might get confidence, some players might crumble and get nervous, but it should be great for me. “It is just for me to do well on the pre-season tour.”
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