The Athletic:
Liverpool are closing in on signing exciting teenage winger Ben Doak from Celtic’s academy.
Doak, who only turned 16 in November, has yet to sign a professional contract with Celtic, and so his boyhood club would only be due minor compensation if the move concludes.
Celtic, who have already lost a number of their brightest academy prospects to Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Liverpool in recent years, have tried to entice Doak to stay, with manager Ange Postecoglou handing him first-team minutes in high-pressure games against Dundee United and Rangers.
This was an attempt to turn platitudes into action and communicate a tangible first-team pathway to the young player.
However, the draw of one of Europe’s elite, with a pedigree for developing and promoting young players under Jurgen Klopp, seems to have proved too powerful.
Doak had attracted attention from a number of top clubs but The Athletic understands that the prospect of working with Klopp was pivotal in his decision.
Working with Klopp and He is only 16 hmmm 
What’s German for “”Would you like to see some puppies?”
That wasn’t what I meant and I did try and word it differently, but couldn’t anyhow a 16 year old isn’t going be working with Klopp unless he knows something we don’t.
Already a Liverpool player then…
They should have put the headline “Liverpool horror injury blow, vital player out for run in”.
That’s usually how the press would headline it.
“offer pathway to first team football”
didn’t say it was in their first team
I think you’ve got to be pretty dumb to go there expecting to break in the first team.
History just doesn’t suggest it, id have gone us or Leeds. The latter if you are anywhere talented you’ll get through and Liverpool there is a pathway, not sure that exists at the other three now, maybe Chelsea if they are going down a different route post Roman.
Nothing at Man City suggests they are changing, who knows about Newcastle and how they will go from now on, with their recruitment you’d think more later Roman Chelsea.
Thing is they could join any of those clubs and have that on their CV and a decent wage in their pocket.
should we jump in?
He is rated incredibly highly and was being fast tracked. I suspect if he’s made this firm a decision its because he already knows where he’s going to go.
Yeah, I’m assuming he’s going to Real Madrid or Barca.
His Dad is an absolute weapon. I’d swerve.
The whole world talking about a player I best almost everyone never heard of, let alone saw playing.
I guess he must have at least some talent, but then hearing people talking about what he should do…
He must have good agents.
He has been quite extensively talked about over the past year or so, even on here.
Youth players have started getting a lot more coverage in recent years. I think it’s maybe a natural result of them being to promote themselves on social media, but also understandable given the increased competition among clubs for academy talent, and likely at least partially accelerated recently by the “success” of Dowman" at Arsenal and people being interested in who their club’s version of him is.
But I think his trajectory and how well he is doing so many age groups up - U18 league player of the year at 15 - is the sort that has always made people take notice. I remember years back Sky giving Owen a platform in the home countries U15s championship. It was especially notable to me because I am a year older than him and we got absolutely no coverage the year before but then none of the 4 teams playing in it had a 14 year old already being talked about as nearly ready to play first team football for a top club.