AFC Bournemouth are set to confirm the signing of Ben Doak.placeholder image
AFC Bournemouth are set to confirm the signing of Ben Doak. | Manchester United via Getty Imag
The Liverpool youngster had been tipped to make the move to the capital but West Ham and Crystal Palace are set to miss out.
Liverpool forward Ben Doak is set to make a £25 million transfer move to Premier League rivals AFC Bournemouth, bringing about an end to links with a switch to London clubs West Ham and Crystal Palace this summer.
The 19-year-old spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough and impressed over the Championship campaign. Doak, who was on the bench for the FA Community Shield defeat to the Eagles last weekend, scored three goals and picked up seven assists in 24 second tier appearances for Boro.
Both West Ham and Crystal Palace are in the market for forward additions before the end of the transfer window. The Hammers sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur for £55 million while Crystal Palace could see star man Eberechi Eze leave the club.
West Ham and Crystal Palace linked with Ben Doak
Football Insider had this week claimed that both West Ham and Leeds United were ‘pushing’ to sign Doak as the weeks of the window ticked by. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace were said to have had an approach rejected by Liverpool in January as Doak saw out his loan spell at the Riverside Stadium.
The Sun had since claimed that Crystal Palace could have looked to include Doak in a swap deal for centre-back Marc Guehi with the Champions supposedly keen on signing the England international.
However, West Ham and Crystal Palace are set to have to take their transfer interest elsewhere. The £25 million deal agreed between Liverpool and AFC Bournemouth is set to be a huge profit on the £600,000 paid to sign the player from Celtic in 2022.
AFC Bournemouth set to sign Liverpool youngster
Doak, who is a Scotland international, had also been linked with Portuguese side Porto. His switch to AFC Bournemouth comes with Dango Ouattara poised to join Brentford in a £42.5 million switch.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “ Ben Doak to Bournemouth, here we go! Deal in place with Liverpool for £25m transfer fee. Porto are no longer in the mix since Tuesday as they’ve been informed of deal in place with #AFCB. Formal steps to follow next.”
Doak had been involved in pre-season for Liverpool but was not set to be a major part of Arne Slot’s plans this season. He has 10 first team appearances for the Reds but has not scored or assisted for the senior side.
Speaking about the player as he broke into the first team, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: “Special boy. Really confident, has something nobody else delivers really, this kind of dribbling, this kind of straight-forward bravery, all these kind of things."
In other news, West Ham 'tracking' prolific 30-goal striker who once terrorised Man United.
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