3EG8B3B Fabrizio Romano, Italian sports journalist, smiles prior to the Serie A football match between FC Internazionale and Hellas Verona FC.
Liverpool have reportedly completed a deal to sign Celtic academy defender Dara Jikiemi, with Fabrizio Romano claiming the Scotland U16 captain has now signed his paperwork.
The highly-rated youngster has been linked with a move away from Celtic for some time, and Romano has now given the deal his familiar “here we go” treatment.
🚨🏴 Liverpool have sealed deal to sign Scotland U16 captain Dara Jikiemi from Celtic, here we go!
Jikiemi has signed paperwork on Sunday to join #LFC on a 5 year contract. 🔴🤝🏿 pic.twitter.com/3tbLRp2gJt
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 6, 2026
It is another blow for Celtic at academy level, with one of the club’s young prospects now set to continue his development at Anfield.
Jikiemi is understood to be highly rated, and Liverpool’s move shows how closely English clubs continue to monitor the Scottish youth market.
For Celtic, this will be a frustrating one. Losing a player before he has had the chance to progress towards the first-team picture is never ideal, especially when the buying club is one of the biggest in England.
There will naturally be comparisons with Ben Doak, who left Celtic for Liverpool at a young age after making his first-team breakthrough in Glasgow.
Jikiemi’s situation is different, but the wider issue remains familiar. Celtic have talented players coming through the academy, but keeping hold of them when Premier League clubs come calling is a major challenge.
Liverpool can offer long-term contracts, elite facilities and a clear pathway into one of the most competitive youth setups in England. That can be difficult for Celtic to compete with, particularly when a young player is still waiting for senior opportunities.
From the player’s point of view, this is a huge move. A five-year contract at Liverpool is a major commitment and shows how highly the Anfield club rate him.
Celtic FC
From Celtic’s point of view, it is another reminder that academy retention is just as important as academy development.
The club have put time and coaching into Jikiemi, but they now look set to lose him before supporters have had any real chance to see what he could become in green and white.
Celtic will continue to bring through young players, but stories like this underline how difficult the market has become. Top English clubs are not waiting until prospects are close to the first team anymore. They are moving early, and in this case, Liverpool appear to have got their man.
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