Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for Celtic’s 15-year-old defensive prodigy Dara Jikiemi to bolster their U-18 ranks at the academy level.
According to The Daily Mail, Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for Dara Jikiemi from Celtic as part of their U-18s recruitment drive. The centre-back will bolster Simon Wiles’ U-18 squad, as the Reds have reportedly seen off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest in the race for the 15-year-old Celtic wonderkid.
Celtic are on the verge of losing another prodigious talent off their books, as young defensive prospect Dara Jikiemi is now closing on an exit. The 15-year-old Celtic wonderkid is on the verge of joining Liverpool and their U-18 setup under boss Simon Wiles.
The Reds have been active in the youth markets to recruit some of the best young talents from around, and already have some promising talents at their disposal. In the race for Jikiemi, they may have had to beat off competition, with the report stating Nottingham Forest were eager to bring the 15-year-old Celtic wonderkid.
However, it is Liverpool who may have won the race as they are now close to agreeing a deal for the teenager. Jikiemi will join the U-18s setup, which is designed to continue where he left off at Celtic, where he was playing in the same age group.
Should he make the move, Jikiemi will follow in the footsteps of Ben Gannon-Doak, who also made the move from Celtic to Liverpool at a similar age. The winger has not reached his potential at Anfield, although there’s plenty of hope with the 15-year-old Celtic wonderkid to do so, although he is facing plenty of competition at the U-18 levels already.
Liverpool to have an active January window?
Moving away from youth recruitment to the plans for the senior squad, Liverpool are widely expected to stay active in the transfer market to bring in key players. The Reds did not sign a big defensive signing back in the summer, as they continued to be linked with an arrival of that sort, as Marc Guehi remains linked.
Meanwhile, the headlines have been grabbed by the Mohamed Salah saga, as the club have a big decision to make on the Egyptian’s immediate future. Beyond that, they might recruit in the offensive part of the pitch if Salah departs, while a midfielder signing has also been lingering on their minds for some time now.