Reliable reporter drops fresh Ben Doak transfer update as Liverpool stance made clear
Ben Doak is very much a player in demand this month, as Liverpool are rapidly discovering.
On Friday it was reported that Crystal Palace submitted a £15m offer for the teenage forward, who’s currently on loan at Middlesbrough, but that approach was quickly turned down by the Reds, who according to Paul Joyce want double that amount for him.
Details have since emerged of another bid for the 19-year-old, with the Premier League leaders duly making their stance clear on the Scotland international.
Liverpool reject £16m Ipswich offer for Doak
As reported by David Ornstein for The Athletic on Friday night, Liverpool have rejected an offer of £16m from Ipswich for Doak, although Kieran McKenna’s side are expected to continue pursuing the youngster as they seek attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window.
The Reds’ preference is for the winger to spend the rest of the season at Middlesbrough, where they are pleased with his progress while out on loan, unless they were to receive a vastly improved proposal which might make them reconsider.
Anfield chiefs apparently view him as the best player in the Championship and regard him so highly that they’d consider signing him themselves if he weren’t already on LFC’s books.
Liverpool staying firm on Ben Doak valuation
The Liverpool hierarchy have taken a lot of flak for an underwhelming summer transfer window and the failure to tie down Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold to new contracts, with fans justifiably dismayed over those developments.
However, it’s good to see that they won’t be duped into selling Doak for less than what they believe him to be worth and have a clear picture in mind as to what they want from the 19-year-old, namely to keep progressing with Middlesbrough and potentially become a first-team mainstay at Anfield thereafter.
As it stands, the Scot would face intense competition for a starting berth with his parent club, where Salah is performing to a level worthy of Ballon d’Or debate and Federico Chiesa is a deputy of immense quality, although he hasn’t had much of a chance to show that during a stop-start season for him.
There have been reports that Liverpool could allow the Italian to leave this year if his preference is for a return to his homeland, which might possibly open the door for Doak to stay with the Reds as right-sided backup to the Egyptian King.
Of course, that’s if the latter signs a new contract, something which won’t happen imminently judging by his alarming comments on Friday.
What happens with the Scottish teenager over the coming weeks and months remains to be seen, but one thing which has been made clear is that LFC won’t give a minute’s consideration to any offer which falls below their valuation of the 19-year-old.
The post Reliable reporter drops fresh Ben Doak transfer update as Liverpool stance made clear appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.