Ben Doak &#8211; CaughtOffside

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Ben Doak in action for Liverpool

Ben Doak has a bright future

The Scottish youth international is quite highly rated by people at the Merseyside club and they want to ensure he gets enough minutes next season to continue his development. They are looking to loan him out to a fellow Premier League club and there is interest in him from the likes of Brentford, Leicester City, and Southampton. All three clubs are looking for more firepower and they feel the teenage sensation could add the much-needed depth to their attacks. A move away from Anfield could be a great opportunity for Doak to gain experience and showcase his abilities to the world.

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Three Premier League clubs waiting to move for talented player Liverpool fans love

Darren Looney — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 15:57:22 +0000

Three Premier League clubs are showing interest in Liverpool talent Ben Doak as the Reds are keen to loan the winger out for the 2024/25 campaign.

Last season was a disaster for the 18-year-old as the youngster suffered a meniscus injury which caused him to miss the majority of the campaign. This came off the back of a very positive pre-season for Doak and many Liverpool fans felt he was ready to make a big impact on the term.

Doak would only play in five matches for Liverpool last season as a result of his setback and the Merseyside club feel that a loan move would suit the player’s development ahead of the 2024/25 campaign getting underway.

According to Football Insider, Brentford, Leicester City and Southampton have all registered an interest in the Liverpool star, however, none of the Premier League clubs have yet to make a move.

Experience in England’s top flight would go a long way in helping the Scottish star cement a place in Liverpool’s starting 11 and the 18-year-old will have an eye on the right-wing role at Anfield given the uncertain future of Mohamed Salah.

Three Premier League clubs are showing interest in Liverpool talent Ben Doak

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This season is crucial to Ben Doak’s Liverpool future

Salah’s contract at Liverpool expires in 2025, which means that this season could be the Egyptian’s last at Anfield, which frees up the right-wing role for the 2025/26 campaign. Should Doak impress at a Premier League club this term, that would put the youngster in prime position to take over from the superstar.

Liverpool fans have already been impressed with what they have seen from Doak so far and being only 18, there is a lot more room for development, which will excite the Anfield faithful.

The Merseyside club need to make sure they send the winger to a club where he will get regular minutes as a successful loan spell could save the Reds a lot of money next summer should they need to replace Salah.

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Leicester City line-up move for Liverpool winger

Sean Walker — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 13:29:12 +0000

Leicester City are reportedly interested in signing young Liverpool star Ben Doak with his future at Anfield looking uncertain.

After an incredible season in the Championship, Enzo Maresca guided the Foxes back up to the Premier League after finishing first although it may not have been as comfortable as he would have hoped.

However, with the Italian manager now gone after replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, the Foxes face the difficult task of remaining in the top flight immediately after promotion.

To make it even more challenging, Leicester lost midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to the Blues as well with the England international a core element of their side.

Steve Cooper now faces the unenviable task of trying to replace his incredible attacking output, 14 goals and 15 assists across the league last season.

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According to reports from the Daily Mail, the Foxes have shown an interest in Liverpool starlet Doak with the 18-year-old winger on the fringes of Arne Slot’s squad.

The report claims that Doak will sit down with his manager and sporting director to discuss his future at Anfield after their pre-season tour.

The Reds played Real Betis on Saturday and will now face Arsenal next Thursday before a showdown with bitter Premier League rivals Manchester United three days later.

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Andy Robertson names teammate who has ‘exactly’ what Scotland need for Euro 2024

CJ — Fri, 31 May 2024 19:47:43 +0000

Andy Robertson says Liverpool teammate Ben Doak has ‘exactly what we need’ to help Scotland thrive at Euro 2024.

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Despite being uncapped at senior level and coming off a club season where he was limited by injury to just six appearances across all competitions, Doak was included in Steve Clarke’s provisional squad for the Euros.

Scotland head to Germany looking to improve on their group stage exit at Euro 2020, where they managed just a single point and only scored one goal.

Doak is now back in training and hoping to be included in Clarke’s final plans for the tournament. Robertson is backing the 18-year-old to provide a different dimension if called upon.

Ben’s not lacking confidence, he’s a fantastic player,” Robertson told BBC Sport.

“Obviously, his season’s been cut short with injury and he trained with the lads today for the first time and looked as if he hadn’t been out for five months, which is credit for him.

“He brings pace, he brings excitement, he’s not scared to take anyone on. It’s exactly what we need, young players that have got no fear, and he’s certainly got that.”

Although uncapped at senior level, Doak has 19 caps for Scotland across various youth levels, scoring six goals along the way.

Important not to ‘overhype’ Doak, says Robertson

Robertson is clearly excited about his club and international teammate, but he’s also moved to protect the teenager, stressing the importance of not ‘overhyping’ Doak or placing unnecessary pressure on him at such a young age.

“He’s got a bright future ahead of him, but it’s also important that we protect him and we put our arm round him and help him along the way, because he’s just starting his journey and we know what that’s like,” Robertson said.

“It’s important people don’t get overhyped by him and let him grow and let him improve. If we do that then I believe that he can be a big player for us in this tournament, but he’ll be a big player for us for 10, 15 years to come as well.”

Scotland have the honour of playing the opening game of Euro 2024 against hosts Germany in Munich on June 14th.

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“Not a good one” – Liverpool manager confirms winger set for lengthy spell on sidelines following knee surgery

Darren Looney — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 13:55:18 +0000

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has confirmed that youngster Ben Doak is set for a long spell on the sidelines as the winger requires knee surgery.

The Scottish star has torn his lateral meniscus and the problem will not get fixed unless the 18-year-old goes under the knife, which is a huge blow for the Liverpool star.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of Liverpool taking on West Ham in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, Lijnders said via Paul Joyce: “That’s not a good one. He teared his lateral meniscus, which needs surgery.”

Doak has played five times for the Reds this season and would have received more minutes throughout the rest of the campaign. It is uncertain as of now when the Scottish star will return but hopefully it is before the season concludes.

Huge blow for Liverpool’s Ben Doak

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Lijnders also stated that Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota are not ready to return to action, with the former set to miss the Reds’ upcoming matches with Arsenal and Burnley.

Ryan Gravenberch is fit to play on Wednesday following a scare during Sunday’s clash with Man United and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to get more players back soon as a crucial period of the season lies ahead for the Merseyside club.

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Liverpool team news: Klopp seizes the chance to rotate in Europa League dead rubber

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 17:00:55 +0000

With the Man United game on the immediate horizon and Thursday night’s Europa League match against Union Saint-Gilloise nothing more than a dead rubber, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, has taken the wise decision to rotate his first-team heavily.

Though there are one or two experienced first-team stars in the starting line-up, the majority of the XI have been made up by squad and youth players.

Tonight’s line-up to take on @UnionStGilloise ?#UEL | #USGLIV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 14, 2023

Given that Man United had to field as full strength an XI as possible, and ended up with more injuries as a result, Klopp will understand that being able to keep all of his major stars either on the sub’s bench or out of the match day squad entirely is a real luxury.

The Reds are likely to set up in a 4-3-3 formation with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal and a back four of Luke Chambers, Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah.

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Aug 10 2024, 21:20

A midfield three of Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott will supplement the front three of Kaide Gordon, Cody Gakpo and Ben Doak.

An experimental XI it may be, but if manager’s can’t try things in games that have little relevance other than pride, then when can they?

The outcome and manner of the performance could also give the German some food for thought moving forward too.

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Good news for Liverpool fans as talented winger signs new contract with the Reds

Darren Looney — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:19:38 +0000

Liverpool have tied talented youngster Ben Doak down to a new long-term contract following the 17-year-old’s impressive displays during this summer’s pre-season.

The youngster has caught the attention of many during his short time at the Merseyside club and his displays over the summer saw him feature off the bench in the Reds’ opening-day 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

The winger has not played since then but the Scottish star will certainly feature more throughout the remainder of the campaign.

According to The Athletic, this new contract on improved terms is a reward for Doak’s outstanding development since he arrived from Celtic just over a year ago.

Ben Doak has signed a new long-term contract with the Reds ??

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 19, 2023

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Doak joined Liverpool for a compensation fee of around £600,000 in March 2022, signing his first professional contract at the Premier League club when he turned 17 in November that year.

The youngster made his debut for the Reds last season and what has been seen so far from the Scottish star has everyone associated with the Merseyside club very excited as the winger looks like he could become one of the best in his position over the coming years.

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Exclusive Neil Jones column: Gravenberch and Andre transfer latest, Liverpool’s Salah stance, and more

Neil Jones — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to my weekly exclusive column for CaughtOffside – click here to subscribe for the full, ad-free version and more content from myself, Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, Christian Falk and Jonathan Johnson!

Liverpool could be sleepwalking towards HUGE mistake in the transfer market

My personal opinion is that if Liverpool do not make at least one more signing before the end of the window, then it would be a huge mistake on the club’s part. But with just a few days remaining, that possibility is certainly growing.

The word from within the club is that they are very much ‘open to opportunities’, which means if the right player is available at the right price, they will make a move. But as we’ve seen previously, Liverpool’s definition of ‘the right player’, or more specifically ‘the right price’, can be pretty narrow!

There are lots of stories surrounding Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich, and were he to become available late in the window (there is a good chance) then I think Liverpool would certainly be in the mix. They like his profile, his potential and his ability to play multiple positions across the midfield. If the price was right, it would make a lot of sense.

There’s also Andre of Fluminense, and I’d not be surprised if we saw a deal for him lined up, maybe for January, once the South American season is done and dusted. Whether they would sign him AND another midfield player, though, I’m not as sure.

Personally, I believe a defender is a necessity for Liverpool in this window, but that looks less and less likely at the moment. It looks like they are going to go with what they have, but things can change quickly. A lot of fans will hope that is the case!

Potential exits and loans to watch out for

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool

There will be some departures at Anfield before the window closes, but the aim for Jurgen Klopp is to keep his main squad together. The club have insisted that they will resist any offers for Mohamed Salah – none have arrived yet – and have played down talk of exits for Joe Gomez and Thiago Alcantara.

Nat Phillips is one who will be allowed to leave, and the Bundesliga is a serious option for him. At 26, he needs a move and I expect him to get one this week, finally.

In terms of loans, Tyler Morton is wanted by Hull City, Luke Chambers has interest from a number of clubs and a decision will be made on young talent Bobby Clark, who will get a new contract and could then move to the Championship.

A few other U21 players could also get fixed up with temporary moves, though I expect both Ben Doak and Jarell Quansah, who have featured in the Premier League this season, to stay.

Liverpool’s summer has been underwhelming, but no one has had a great window

If nothing else was to happen in terms of incomings, I’d say it’s been a pretty underwhelming window for Liverpool. Sure, they have bought well in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, and added a bit of experience in Wataru Endo, but this was a window in which we expected the club to show serious ambition and really respond to the disappointments of last season.

Instead, we find them in a familiar position; with a good team but weaknesses that haven’t been addressed. They are still at the mercy of injuries to key players – Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk – still have too many players with question marks around their age, form or fitness – Matip, Gomez, Thiago, Curtis Jones, Stefan Bajcetic – and the general feeling is that, once again, they have talked a better game than they have played in the market.

In terms of the rest of the top six, I don’t think anyone has had what I would call a brilliant window.

Manchester City, naturally, remain strong, and Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic are fine players, but the loss of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez will be felt this season, and Kevin De Bruyne’s injury hurts them.

Exclusive Neil Jones column: A “feeling” Liverpool will sign Romeo Lavia, midfielder is a “manager’s dream”, plans for Thiago and Doak & more

Neil Jones — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:58:45 +0000

Hello and welcome to my weekly LFC transfer news column for CaughtOffside on Substack – click here to subscribe for more exclusive content from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, Christian Falk and Jonathan Johnson!

Liverpool need a long-term centre-back but their issues can be fixed on the training ground

Defensive issues have been present throughout pre-season for Liverpool and Mathias Honsak’s goal for Darmstadt on Monday was a prime example of the problems facing the Reds. I think it’s clear that Liverpool need to be buying at least one centre-back during the next 12 months, and in an ideal world, one would be signed in this window. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are clearly the starting pair, and as good as any in the league when at their best, but beyond that, Joel Matip is 31 and looks a player whose best days are behind him, while Joe Gomez has not played regularly as a centre-back in almost three years, and will surely be needed to cover at right-back this season.

I’m not sure whether Jarell Quansah, 20, is ready to step up after just a handful of professional games in League One with Bristol Rovers. He could probably do with a loan. And so looking at the options, and some of the issues we’ve seen in pre-season, particularly with Matip, it feels like a defensive signing is needed. Ideally, it would be a young player who could develop over the next 12 months before taking over when Matip’s contract expires, but the trouble is that there is still so much to do in terms of finishing the midfield rebuild! That has to be the priority before anything is spent on a new centre-back.

I do also think that the ‘issues’ we have seen in pre-season would not necessarily be solved by simply signing a centre-back. Much of it stems from a lack of compactness and a lack of pressure on the ball higher up the pitch, which then leaves the last line exposed when opponents play around the press. And with Trent Alexander-Arnold spending as much time in midfield as he does at right-back, that means a lot of work for the right-sided centre-back. Konate will be earning overtime this season, he needs to stay fit!

What is going on with the Roméo Lavia deal?

I think with regards to Lavia, it is fair that questions are asked as to Liverpool’s approach. It has rarely been the case that we hear of one bid being rejected, let alone three, and when the difference between the latest offer (£45m) and the widely-reported asking price (£50m) is so small (relatively speaking) then I understand why people are wondering what the hold up is.

Liverpool sources were saying earlier in the summer that £50m for Lavia was excessive, but that was before the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson amplified their need for a midfielder. I get the impression that the club have looked at the market for potential No.6s/deep-lying midfielders and have not been too impressed, hence the fact they’ve circled back to Lavia. He’s certainly a gamble, given his age, the amount of games he’s played and the fact he’s a very different kind of player to Fabinho, more of a builder than a destroyer. The plus side is that he clearly has a high ceiling, his wages are relatively low and he wants to come to Liverpool. My feeling is that a compromise will be found, but it probably should have been found already.

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Alexis Mac Allister is a manager’s dream

I think both Mac Allister and Szoboszlai have done well throughout pre-season, and shown what they can bring to Liverpool going forward. Mac Allister looked the bargain of the summer when he signed, and nothing I’ve seen since has persuaded me otherwise. He looks like a manager’s dream, a team-mates’ dream, sure with his touch, spatially aware, always looking to play forward and willing to get his hands dirty without the ball. His versatility gives Liverpool flexibility, and of course, he has already shown that he can not only handle the Premier League, but thrive in it too.

Szoboszlai might need a little more time before he gets up to his top level, but there have certainly been signs of his potential in pre-season. He is clearly a very confident player, who always wants the ball and is technically very accomplished. He looks a good athlete and, having spoken briefly with him over in Germany after the Karlsruher SC friendly, he seems a solid character too. I think it’s fair to expect a slight adaptation period, in terms of the intensity of a new league and the specific demands of playing in a Klopp side, but I expect him to have a good impact this season.

The story of Thiago at Liverpool

Thiago did not feature at all for Liverpool throughout pre-season due to fitness issues and I am afraid that this is the story of the midfielder at Liverpool. Plenty of promise and real class at times, but unavailable too often. That’s not to say he cannot be an asset for Klopp this season. He’s a world-class player, and someone who I imagine would love playing with the likes of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Gakpo, but first and foremost he has to get fit and stay fit. If Liverpool can get 25-30 games from him this season, I think they’d shake hands on that now.

Expect breakout star of pre-season to stay

Ben Doak has been one of the real breakout stars of pre-season, and I’d be amazed if he wasn’t kept around the first-team squad this season. I’m sure there are tons of clubs who would love to take him on loan – in fact, I know there are! – but his ability to impact games from the bench, especially in the final 10-15 minutes against tired defences, means that he can be a real asset for Klopp. Yes, Liverpool are well-stocked in forward areas right now, but we saw last season how quickly those numbers can dwindle as injuries take hold, and having someone like Doak, fearless, quick and dangerous, in reserve would be more than useful. I’d expect him to stay.

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Exclusive: Breakout pre-season star expected to stay at Liverpool this season says Liverpool journalist

Darren Looney — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 09:54:00 +0000

Liverpool’s pre-season preparations for the new campaign have seen both positives and negatives but a shining light throughout has been 17-year-old Ben Doak.

Signed from Celtic last year for only £600,000, the winger shone at youth level last season for the Reds, scoring 11 goals and assisting a further eight across 27 matches. On Merseyside, the 17-year-old displayed his pace and directness on the right wing and that earned him some first-team minutes throughout the last campaign.

Doak made his debut against Derby County in the Carabao Cup and went on to play four more times for Jurgen Klopp’s team. The German coach brought the winger with the Reds for their pre-season preparation and the 17-year-old has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Ben Doak in action for Liverpool

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