Liverpool are set to win the race to sign highly-rated Celtic youngster Ben Doak, GOAL can confirm.
The 16-year-old winger, who has already featured twice for the Scottish giants’ senior side, is ready to make the move to Merseyside, subject to a medical, having turned down offers from a host of other clubs.
Doak, a Scotland U17 international who scored a hat-trick against Georgia earlier this week, will not be eligible to feature for the Reds until next season, and will initially join the club's academy set-up in any case, but was pictured on social media with a No 7 Liverpool shirt on Thursday.
What’s the story?
Born in Ayrshire, Doak has worked his way through the ranks at Celtic and was handed his professional debut by Ange Postecoglu as a substitute in the Hoops’ win over Dundee United in January.
He then made another cameo appearance against Old Firm rivals Rangers four days later, with sources suggesting Celtic were looking to convince him to sign a professional contract with the club on his 17th birthday in November.
Liverpool had made their move by then, and Doak was understood to be immediately sold on the idea of a switch to Anfield despite interest from other clubs, including Chelsea and Leeds.
The Reds will, after what were described by sources as "constructive and amicable" talks, pay a six-figure compensation fee, understood to be around £600,000 ($790,000) to Celtic, with Doak likely to go straight into the club’s U18 set-up to begin with.
Anyone else moving to Liverpool?
Doak is likely to be joined at Kirkby next season by Trent Kone-Doherty, a 15-year-old who currently plays with Derry City.
Liverpool are set to secure a pre-contract agreement with the Irish youth international winger, who turns 16 in the summer.
The Reds are still hopeful of concluding a deal to sign exciting Fulham attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho, having failed to finalise that transfer on the last day of the January window.
Liverpool are confident of agreeing a compensation fee with Fulham which would remove the need for a tribunal. Carvalho, who is out of contract in June, is understood to be keen on a switch to Anfield but is keeping his options open amid strong interest from clubs across Europe.
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