Mystery over future of player rated by Portsmouth boss as Championship’s best

He’s the player viewed by John Mousinho as the Championship’s finest talent this season.

But what lies ahead for the gifted £30m-rated operator remains unclear, with a swathe of clubs watching closely to see what the pathway is for Liverpool’s Ben Doak.

Among those potentially will be Pompey’s Championship rivals, with plenty of top-end teams having designs on bringing in the emerging Scottish ace.

That may be a slight stretch for the Blues, as they set their sights on strengthening their squad this summer with loan additions once again a significant strand of their recruitment plans.

As things stand, however, it remains to be seen what happens for the 19-year-old, who made a big impression on loan at Middlesbrough over the first half of the season.

Doak bagged three goals and seven assists, as he produced a number of shining performances for Michael Carrick’s side before a thigh injury curtailed his season.

One of his last games was at Fratton Park as Connor Ogilvie stood up impressively to the huge challenge in Pompey’s 2-1 win.

Doak then underwent surgery in March, which put paid to any hope of the full Scottish international aiding Boro’s unsuccessful play-off bid.

There may be some clarity over the pathway the winger takes within the Anfield corridors of power, but for the rest it remains the subject of speculation.

The experts’ opinions on the matter are varied, with the three options a first-team breakthrough at his parent club, another loan or a permanent parting of ways.

With the huge £30m price tag on his head and Doak yet to start a Premier League game, the latter seems to be favourite. Whether Liverpool can get near to earning the figure being mentioned is another matter.

Crystal Palace and relegated Ipswich Town are the teams who’ve been linked with permanent moves, with Palace’s reported £15m bid knocked back at the start of the year.

Liverpool academy expert Lewis Bower told the Anfield Index he expects Doak to get a chance to stake his claim in pre-season.

He said: ‘Ben Doak is so exciting and he has done well out on loan at Middlesbrough this season.

‘I was told that Slot only personally asked for two players to be reported back to him in depth. Both Doak and (Owen) Beck will get a chance in pre-season before any decisions are made, but there will be heavy interest in both players.’

Where does Doak fit in at Liverpool?

Doak signed a new ‘long-term contract’ in 2023, after originally arriving from Celtic for £600,000 in training compensation a year previously.

The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce doesn’t see Doak staying at a club looking to bring in some big names this summer.

He said: 'The awkward thing for in terms of his Liverpool prospects is with (Mo) Salah signing a new contract and if (Jeremie) Frimpong comes in, there’s a possibility of playing him further up the pitch at times.

'So, where’s Doak going to fit in? It’s difficult at the minute to see the pathway for him.'

YOUR NEXT POMPEY READ: 16 of the brightest Danish Superliga talents as Portsmouth look overseas for transfer gems