Middle East Move for Oussama Assaidi After Reds Cut Loan Short

So far it’s been a pretty quiet month for Liverpool with a lot of rumours, but not a lot of action. While this news isn’t quite as exciting as Kopites everywhere might hope, the Reds look posed for their first bit of transfer business of 2015 with misfit Oussama Assaidi on his way to Middle Eastern club Al-Ahli.

The winger was recalled by the club from his second loan in as many years to Stoke City earlier in the week ahead of negotiations with his soon to be new club. If all goes well, he’ll complete a move worth £4.75mil in the coming days. The 26-year old has failed to impress during his time in England, and though the Potters have struggled to find the net this season, he’s found his opportunities vastly limited at the Britannia Stadium.

“Ossie has been frustrated this season because I haven’t been able to give him as much game time as he would have liked. He was a player we liked but he has found it difficult to force his way into the team over the past couple of months” said Potters manager Mark Hughes. “As a consequence of that Liverpool requested to recall him, which we have accepted, after receiving an offer from a side in the Middle East. It frees up a loan opportunity for us and obviously we will look to utilise that before the end of the month.”

Despite Reds boss Brendan Rodgers playing down Liverpool’s ambitions in the January window, the Reds are expected to dip into the market with a goalkeeper and a new striker high on the wish list. On-loan Lille hitman Divock Origi is widely expected to be a recalled early from his loan, though it’s rumoured that the Anfield outfit will have shell out up to £6mil to do that — well, with Assaidi out the door for double what we paid for him, we’re well on our way.