Gent managing director Michel Louwagie has insisted that his club gave Taiwo Awoniyi enough chances to impress during his loan stint, and revealed Liverpool put a penalty clause in the agreement.
The Nigerian striker spent the first half of the season on loan at Gent, but struggled to make an impact and his stint was cut short in January, with Liverpool choosing to send him on loan to Mouscron, where he spent last term.
Awoniyi returned to Gent at the weekend in Belgian league action and scored as Mouscron pulled off a shock 2-1 win.
The Liverpool talent said after the game that he was not given enough chances to impress during his spell at Gent, but the club's managing director Louwagie disagrees.
The Gent managing director said on VISTA!: "We gave him enough chances.
"He started eight times for us."
Louwagie also revealed that Liverpool put a penalty clause in the loan and Gent have to pay it due to Awoniyi not being played in the minimum number of games.
"There was also a penalty [clause] in the agreement – if he did not start in 70 per cent of the matches, we had to pay that penalty.
"So, we have to pay that.
"We did everything to make him succeed."
And the Gent supremo believes that operating alongside another striker suits the Nigerian.
"I think Taiwo works better in a system with two strikers.
"That was the case in the cup match against Virton [where he scored twice] and things went better", Louwagie added.
Awoniyi, 21, joined Liverpool in 2015, but has yet to play for the Reds and has been sent out on multiple loan stints, playing his football in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
