How Ben Doak could HELP Liverpool land Premier League star

Liverpool have got a BIG decision to make over Ben Doak.

The highly-rated 19–year-old winger has been in sensational form this season on loan with Middlesbrough in the Championship. He has provided six assists for Michael Carrick’s side, scoring twice, and has carried his electric form into the international arena for Scotland too.

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Liverpool aim to do one of two things with their young players when they send them on loan. They want them to develop for the first team, such as Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott, or else expose them to potential bidders like Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho.

The club can make good money on those players who excel on loan elsewhere and it’s proving to be a fruitful income generator.

But Doak is a unique case. There are already plenty of Liverpool fans who would like him to come back to the club and state his case for the first team.

With Mo Salah’s future uncertain and Federico Chiesa failing to make the grade thus far there could well be an opportunity for Doak in Arne Slot’s squad sooner rather than later.

And although the Championship is a cut below the Premier League, Doak’s blend of pace and dribbling ability has proven too much for the likes of Josko Gvardiol, who was tormented by the young Scot for Croatia in a recent international.

Ipswich on Doak's trail

And the flip side of the situation is that Doak could end up earning Liverpool A LOT of money. Having cost only £600,000 from Celtic, sums many times that amount are now being discussed.

Doak appears to have alerted several Premier League teams to his potential with both Crystal Palace and Ipswich reported to have made bids to Liverpool this January.

Palace’s interest surfaced first with it suggested that the Eagles were prepared to offer £15m to secure the starlet. That bid is expected to be denied by Liverpool, with the club said to be holding out for £30m.

If that sounds a little excessive, then remember the names Yankuba Minteh, Archie Gray and Romeo Lavia - all players with limited Premier League experience who made teenage transfers for much more than that.

Liverpool are entitled to seek what they feel Doak is worth and if they don’t get it then he will remain where he is. But an intriguing element could yet emerge in this tale.

Delap option emerges

Liam Delap is a player of interest to Liverpool in this transfer window. The Ipswich forward has taken a step up this season, scoring seven Premier League goals for a struggling side.

The Reds are known to be keen on Delap and have been interested since he was a young player at Manchester City as revealed by Anfield Watch. Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are known to be keen to recruit a forward with Delap said to be among the candidates to arrive at Anfield.

And here a deal might be struck.

If Liverpool can dangle Doak as bait for Ipswich then there is a chance a cash-plus-player deal might be done. That could end up bringing the initial upfront cost for Delap right down and give Liverpool the striker for the long-term that they require.

It could be an attractive option, leveraging Ipswich’s interest in a homegrown prospect in return for signing Delap. The ball is in FSG's court.

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