Ben Doak‘s list of transfer suitors continues to grow as reports of Harvey Elliott holding exploratory talks with Tottenham emerge in Friday’s Liverpool FC news.
Today’s Main LFC Headline
Ben Doak is seeking regular first-team minutes this season, and he continues to attract interest, with West Ham and Leeds recently named among his Premier League suitors.
Bournemouth, Brentford, Wolves and PSV Eindhoven have also previously been name-checked among the list of clubs keeping tabs on the teenager, as well as Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Everton.
And now Sky Sports have reported that Monaco and Bologna are “monitoring his situation.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 4, 2025: Liverpool's Ben Doak celebrates after scoring the third goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool rejected bids worth £15 million and £16 million in the winter window and are said to value their No. 50 at closer to £30 million.
With at least 11 clubs having been linked to Doak throughout the summer, the club are in a strong position to recoup their valuation if a bidding war was to eventuate – it remains to be seen, though, how many will take action on their interest.
Doak finds himself down in the pecking order at Anfield, and it was telling that his name was excluded when Arne Slot listed his attacking options during his press conference on Friday, as he did with Harvey Elliott.
Today’s Liverpool FC News
* Watch Arne Slot‘s preview of Sunday’s Community Shield here
• Elliott held exploratory talks with Tottenham over a potential move, but it never advanced, whether that changes after James Maddison’s ACL injury remains to be seen
• Joe Gomez is to return from injury “very soon,” in the words of Arne Slot, who remained coy on Liverpool’s centre-back plans in what remains of the transfer window
• Liverpool’s head coach also laughed off a question about whether Alexander Isak could replace Darwin Nunez, we expected nothing less from our tight-lipped boss!
• Newcastle are considering a move for Porto striker Samu Aghehowa. No formal approach has been made, but we can hope he is a rare breed who wants to join them this summer to move the Isak deal along! (David Ornstein, The Athletic)
• Liverpool Women have named Gareth Taylor as their new head coach, the 52-year-old was most recently in charge of Man City Women – let’s hope he can take the Reds to the next level
More from This Is Anfield
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 4, 2025: Liverpool's Darwin Núñez during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. Liverpool won 4-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
As Darwin Nunez‘s nears an official exit, Jack Lusby highlights how his signing slipped through the cracks of an established recruitment policy which places great value in the data:
“One of the options pushed by Liverpool’s data team three years ago was Alexander Isak and it is telling that the club are pushing hard for the Swede as Nunez’s replacement.
“It represents the acknowledgement of a lapse in their recruitment process.
“While Klopp got many things right in his transformative time at Liverpool, pushing so heavily for a striker who clearly did not fit was not one of them.”
READ: Darwin Nunez’s exit shows Liverpool are right to trust data for transfers
Elsewhere in the football world today
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 13, 2023: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (L) and Chelsea's Levi Colwill during the FA Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
• In a move not directly linked to Isak, Newcastle are “ready to finalise” a deal with Brentford for Yoane Wissa for a fee around £35 million – they found a player who actually wants to sign for them (Keith Downie, Sky Sports)
• Arsenal have signed 18-year-old Ethan Nwaneri to a new five-year contract, always good to see players continue on with their boyhood clubs…even if it is the Gunners we’re talking about
• Crystal Palace will be without Eddie Nketiah, Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, Matheus Franca and Caleb Kporha for Sunday’s Community Shield due to injury
• Chelsea‘s Levi Colwill will be sidelined for the majority of next season with an ACL injury suffered during training – they better keep their hands off Marc Guehi… (Chelsea FC)
Liverpool FC: On this day
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, July 22, 2020: Liverpool’s Joel Matip celebrates with the Premier League trophy as the Reds are crowned Champions after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. Liverpool won 5-3. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Joel Matip was born on this day in 1991. Happy birthday to one of the best free transfers in football history!
Matip joined Liverpool from Schalke as a free agent in 2016, as one of the first signings of Jurgen Klopp‘s time in charge, and went on to play 201 times for the club.
Despite his success as arguably Virgil van Dijk‘s most accomplished centre-back partner, Matip’s time at Anfield was hampered by injuries and he retired in 2024 after ACL surgery.
Now, Matip keeps a remarkably low profile. You’d be hard pressed to find out what he’s up to post-football!