The Anfield giants are poised to swoop for another Hoops starlet - who have lost several academy players to England's big boys in recent seasons
13:42, 11 Dec 2025
View 2 Images
Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak
Liverpool have reportedly won the race to sign Celtic teen sensation Dara Jikiemi.
Last month, Record Sport told you that the Premier League champions had been scouting the 15-year-old, who captains Scotland at youth level.
Interest in the prodigy is high, with fellow top tier English side Nottingham Forest also keen on snapping up the teenager from the Hoops academy. But the Daily Mail now claim that it is the Anfield giants who will secure Jikiemi's signature.
Jikiemi is primarily a centre back but his versatility also means he is adept at playing in midfield. The starlet would have been able to pen a professional contract with Celtic at the end of the season but the Premiership holders will only be entitled to training compensation because the youngster came through their academy.
He is set to follow the same path as Ben Gannon Doak, who swapped Glasgow's East End for Merseyside in March 2022, with the Hoops receiving a compensation fee of around £600,000. Doak made 10 appearances in total in two seasons at Anfield, including three in the Premier League.
He joined Middlesbrough on a season-long loan at the start of last season and impressed before an injury cut short his campaign back in January. Despite picking up minutes under Arne Slot in pre-season, Doak was sold to AFC Bournemouth in a deal worth £25million last summer.
But the 20-year-old is now set for another spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery for a hamstring problem picked up in Scotland's decisive World Cup qualifying showdown with Denmark last month. The pacey wide-man will hope to return to action as quickly as possible to ensure he gets a seat on the plane to the finals in North America.
Dara Jikiemi
View 2 Images
Dara Jikiemi
Jikiemi and Doak are not the only two starlets Celtic have lost to the Premier League big boys in recent years, with clubs down south continuing to poach Scotland's emerging talent.
Having banged in goals for fun at youth team level in Glasgow, Daniel Cummings made his senior Celtic bow in the Champions League against Aston Villa in January but landed a move to last summer West Ham United after deciding not to extend his contract at Parkhead.
Fellow teen Conall Glancy also headed to London to join Tottenham from the Hoops in August while Aidan Borland and Rory Mahady were recruited from Celtic's youth set up by Aston Villa and Leeds United in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.
Article continues below
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Celtic community here.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.