Origi can and does play out wide so I don't think his presence in the squad precludes us from buying a striker.
The big question is not Origi but Balotelli.
Rodgers doesn't seem particularly inclined to change things to accommodate him all of which suggests he doesn't see him as a long-term option. Alternatively there is the less likely (or more naive, depending which way you choose to view the situation) scenario that he thinks Balotelli can fundamentally change the way he plays over time.
So there is a problem with movement up top and there is a problem with how Balotelli plays and how the team would like their striker(s) to play. The other big issue that so far hasn't quite been called out is that we have too many tippy tappy creators and not enough players that can go make something happen. Those players don't have to be traditional strikers as Suarez, for example, played all over the show. But his departure has left us really short, as we know, particularly in light of Sturridge's long absence. It's left Sterling having to shoulder all of that responsibility and that's taken it's toll.
We tried to get Sanchez in the summer who isn't a striker by trade but that type of player, dynamic and hungry for goals. We looked at Shaqiri who in some respects is similar. It feels like we looked at all these players and for one reason or another ended up with Markovic who unfortunately isn't quite ready to make an impact. It'd be really interesting to know whether management knew that would be the case or whether it's come as a rather nasty surprise. Either way, it's been hugely damaging because it's left us really short.
We need to resolve the issue of how the forward line is set up. If it includes Balotelli then we need two dynamic players alongside him that are prepared and able to run in behind and get into the box. Lallana is not one of those players and as a result is looking like a luxury purchase regardless of any qualities he may have. Markovic we've discussed.
Lambert might be okay in a functioning team but in his case, unfortunate as it may be, I'd just almost disregard him for the time being. He seems happy enough sitting about waiting for the odd appearance so leave him to it for now. That leaves Borini who currently appears to be our best option, which is a pretty damning indictment of where we find ourselves, but he's not good enough, never will be and for the money he can raise, we can get someone who would be better suited to us.
So yeah, it's a bit of a balancing act between our short-term needs and long-term strategy.
I'd try and get a pacey forward who can play wide and has a proven knack for scoring goals. This is a player that is always useful no matter what system you play or which players you have. We fucked this up in the summer so let's try and put it right now. We can then worry about the striker situation in the summer with a better idea of how Markovic, Lallana, Balotelli and the various other question marks fit into our future.