Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge. (Photo : Getty Images)
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is reportedly desiring a move to rival club Arsenal after he had failed to break through to head coach Jürgen Klopp's starting XI at the Anfield.
The Mirror reported that the 26-year-old forward "can't get into" Klopp's first-choice lineup at the moment with even Belgian youngster Divock Origi being selected ahead of him off the bench to spell Roberto Firmino.
Origi, who turned 21 last April, was called by the German mentor from his bench at the 69th minute to replace left winger Philippe Coutinho during the Reds' 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday at the White Hart Lane.
Sturridge was also eventually fielded in to substitute for right winger Sadio Mane, but with only two minutes left before full time.
The report even showed a photo of Sturridge's facial reaction when Origi was announced to replace Coutinho in the middle of the second half, which had instigated rumors that the Great Britain international could request to be transferred to the Gunners before the summer transfer window closes on Aug. 31.
Meanwhile, Caught Offside noted that Sturridge "has had his heart set on a move to Arsenal all summer", but he "could be left disappointed" as Liverpool is only planning to sell 6-foot-2 Birmingham, England native "if the price is right".
The Gunners had been searching for the ideal striker to fill-in for the injured Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck and so far all of their attempts to sign a forward had been rejected by their current teams.
Arsenal had missed trying to sign Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez this summer as well as Inter's Mauro Icardi as all three players had decided to remain in their respective teams. The club's offer to Ligue 1 squad Lyon for Alexandre Lacazette had also fallen through after the two teams disagreed on the transfer fee. Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is another rumored high-profile target of head coach Arsene Wenger that had been unfruitful this summer.
The report noted that Sturridge would have been "a perfect fit for Arsenal, whose style of play is not as physically demanding as Jürgen Klopp's high-pressing approach" and that Wenger is rumored to be intending to make the Englishman the "focal point of his attack, rather than sticking him out wide where he is sometimes reluctantly deployed for the Reds".
