Liverpool are close to finalising a deal with Celtic to bring teenager Ben Doak to the club. The 16-year-old is yet to sign professional terms with his current side but the Scottish giants will be due some compensation if Doak completes the move to the Kirkby Academy.
Anfield sources have stressed that the deal is not complete yet but there is plenty of excitement at the prospect of adding another talented teen to an ever-expanding roster within the youth ranks at the club. Such has been Doak's development that he was given first-team minutes by manager Ange Postecoglou as a late substitute in the 3-0 win over Rangers in early February.
He made his debut as a second-half substitute for Anthony Ralston in the 1-0 victory against Dundee United on January 29, which was viewed as an attempt by manager Postecoglou to convince Doak to stay with his boyhood Bhoys. Doak became Celtic's second-youngest ever debutant behind only Jack Aitchison when he entered the fray with a little over 20 minutes left of the Scottish Premiership clash.
READ MORE: Mohamed Salah should copy his agent in response to £100m Barcelona 'transfer plan' at Liverpool
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp makes Liverpool injury plea after Tom Brady and Cristiano Ronaldo meeting
PAUL GORST: Liverpool given last thing they need as Man City get lucky break Pep Guardiola wanted
"He's a fantastic kid who comes from a good family. He looked really composed for his age," Postecoglou said after the game.
"He'll have grown up a bit today. It will given him a different perspective on life. He probably would have been on the other side of the terracing if he hadn't been playing."
The versatile Doak can play as both a winger and a central attacking midfielder and was reportedly gaining attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Bayern Munich and Manchester City. It's been reported that Liverpool could pay a compensation fee of around £150,000 but club sources have not confirmed if that figure is an accurate one at this stage.
Doak, who won't turn 17 until November, has been capped for Scotland at Under-16 and U17 level and looks set to become the latest starlet to join the youth setup. Liverpool have a good recent history of blooding their best youngsters into the first-team at Anfield and gave a senior debut to Kaide Gordon in September in a Carabao Cup tie just eight months after he joined from Derby County as a 16-year-old.
Gordon was also named in the side that beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates in January and scored his first senior goal in the 4-1 win over Shrewsbury in the FA Cup earlier that month.
The pathway to the first-team at Anfield has always been open under Jurgen Klopp who has given a number of hopefuls their senior debuts already this season, including Max Woltman, Melkamu Frauendorf and Conor Bradley. Tyler Morton has made nine appearances in total this term for the senior side including two in the Premier League, while Harvey Elliott is another whose story at Anfield will offer hope for Doak.
