The Scotland international is closing in on a huge summer transfer.
Scotland international Ben Doak is set to complete a megabucks move to Bournemouth this week after the English Premier League outfit agreed a fee of £25million with Liverpool - though the transfer may not signal the end of his Anfield dream just yet.
After a summer-long pursuit, it appears that the Cherries have won the race to sign the 19-year-old after beating off strong competition from Portuguese giants Porto for his signature. Everton and Leeds United were also understood to have held a strong interest in the winger, though they made no last ditch offer for his services.
Ben Doak is close to joining AFC Bournemouth in a £25m transfer from Liverpool this summer.placeholder image
Ben Doak is close to joining AFC Bournemouth in a £25m transfer from Liverpool this summer. | Getty Images
The move to the Vitality Stadium will see him link up with fellow Scotland international teammate Ryan Christie, who has made 150 appearances for Bournemouth across all competitions after joining them from Celtic in August 2021. Alongside goalkeeper Callan McKenna, who was included in Steve Clarke’s squad for June’s friendly fixtures against Iceland and Liechtenstein, the youngster will become the third Scottish star currently playing on the south coast.
West Ham United, Bologna, and Monaco had also been loosely linked with a move for the Tartan Army star, who impressed on loan with EFL Championship side Middlesbrough last season, scoring three goals and assisting a further seven before a thigh injury cut short his season at the Riverside Stadium. Both Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace also had bids rejected in January, with their offer of £16million falling well short of Liverpool’s valuation.
While Arne Slot’s side is now accepting an offer of £25million for Doak, the club’s belief that he could go on to be ‘an elite talent’ had seen them insert a special buy-back clause that could see him return to Liverpool, should the club opt to make a move in the future. According to several reports, the English Premier League champions have inserted a buyback clause into the deal, which could see him return to Liverpool in the future for around £50million
Elsewhere, Celtic fans wondering if they will bank any windfall from the sale of their ex-academy starlet have been left disappointed, with reports claiming there was no sell-on fee included in the deal that took him to Anfield. Already capped six times by Scotland, the pacey winger began his career in the Celtic youth academy, making his senior debut for the club aged just 16 as a 68th-minute substitute for Anthony Ralston in a 1–0 Scottish Premiership win against Dundee United in January 2022.
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He would make a move across the border just two months later, signing his first professional contract with the Merseyside club. Celtic were awarded a £600,000 compensation payment due to FIFA regulations for his age at the time of the move, meaning the deal was a negotiated transfer fee that could include a sell-on clause. As a result, the Hoops are not entitled to any percentage of the huge fee Liverpool is set to receive from Bournemouth for Doak’s transfer. Additionally, no solidarity payment applies since the move from to Bournemouth is within England.