EPL clubs are interested in the former Celtic winger
Scotland’s World Cup ambitions have received a massive boost with Liverpool winger Ben Doak’s return from injury. A likely starter when the national team begin their 2026 qualifying campaign away to Denmark in September, Doak is now back training and due to report for pre-season next month.
He has not played since January due to a hamstring problem which eventually required surgery and prevented him helping Middlesbrough’s promotion push whilst on loan in the English Championship. The 19-year-old is now in Portugal and posted social media footage of himself undergoing a rigorous training course with Empire Performance Elite. The routine showed him engaged in sharp movement exercises, including short sprints and shooting drills.
Doak emerged as a key player for Scotland during last year’s Nations League campaign. He featured as a substitute in the first two games against Poland and Portugal but cemented a starting slot for the remaining four. He would have been involved in March’s Nations League play-off against Greece had injury not struck. The former Celtic player is now preparing to report to Liverpool’s Kirkby training base on Monday, 7 July, for the first day of pre-season training.
Where he will be playing come the start of Scotland’s World Cup qualifying ties is unclear. A number of English Premier League sides monitored him on loan at Middlesbrough and were impressed as he scored three goals and claimed seven assists in 24 appearances. The Everton manager David Moyes is one of Doak’s admirers and is keen on a deal to sign him from rivals Liverpool this summer. Bournemouth have also been credited with an interest.
Liverpool, Everton and the £30m transfer tag for ex-Celtic man
Mo Salah’s decision to extend his Liverpool contract renders the young Scotsman’s chances of securing regular action in his favoured right-wing position extremely difficult this coming season. New £29.5m signing Jeremie Frimpong can also play in that role, so Doak’s opportunities are likely to be limited under head coach Arne Slot. That could help Everton’s chances of luring him across the city.
A move for the teenager is likely in the coming weeks, even if it is another loan deal of some sort. Liverpool paid Celtic just £600,000 in training compensation when they signed Doak as a 16-year-old in 2022. Celtic are understood to have a sell-on clause in the deal, which could earn them a tidy return with Anfield officials reportedly valuing the Scot around the £30m mark.
Having recuperated under the supervision of medical staff at Kirkby in recent months, Doak is now eager to resume competitive action and be ready for next season. He needs regular games at a good level to regain his Scotland place and will be eager to help his country reach next summer’s World Cup finals in USA, Canada and Mexico. He has made 10 first-team for Liverpool since arriving three years ago, most of those in cup competitions and European ties.
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