Liverpool have reportedly rejected a £16 million offer from Ipswich for young winger Ben Doak, with the Reds valuing him at £30 million.
The Scot has emerged as one of the most exciting academy products in years at Anfield, catching the eye with his pace and trickery out wide.
Doak’s form appears to have alerted numerous clubs in recent times, with Crystal Palace seeing a £15 million offer turned down for his services, and Ipswich are now in on the act.
That’s according to The Athletic‘s reliable David Ornstein, who reports that the Tractor Boys have unsuccessfully bid £16 million for the Scotland international this month.
Liverpool’s preference is for Doak to remain at Boro until the end of the season, at which point a decision regarding his future may be made.
It’s certainly a tough situation for the Reds, in terms of weighing up whether to accept an offer for Doak or not in the near future.
Having made 10 Liverpool appearances to date, he was sent out on loan to Middlesbrough last summer, in order to mature as a player and enjoy more regular football.
Doak has enjoyed a fruitful spell at the Championship club, scoring twice and registering five assists in 20 appearances this season, enhancing his reputation in the process.
The 19-year-old is an enormous talent, which is why Liverpool could understandably be hesitant to let him leave for good so early in his career.
On the flip side, there could come a point when the club find it hard to say no if their valuation, in the region of £30 million, is met, especially if the likes of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes feel Doak’s ceiling at Anfield is limited.
With a plethora of attacking options at Arne Slot‘s disposal, there is no guarantee that the teenager will make the grade, with many past youngsters eventually being moved on, too.
For now, though, it makes sense to allow Doak to continue his development on loan for the remainder of the campaign, before assessing matters in the summer.
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