Crystal Palace “would like to sign” Liverpool winger Ben Doak at the end of the season, according to a fresh claim from former scout Mick Brown.
Doak is currently on loan at Middlesbrough for the 2024/25 campaign, enjoying a positive time of things, even though injuries have been an issue at times.
The Scotland international has proven to be a reliable provider of end product from out wide, registering seven assists and scoring three goals in the Championship.
Liverpool will have a decision to make regarding Doak this summer, as they choose between retaining his services or selling him permanently, and Brown has told Football Insider that Palace want to snap him up.
“I’m told Crystal Palace would like to sign him. What Palace will do, and they’ve got a good record of doing it, is they will be keeping a close eye on the Championship and the young players in that division,” Brown said.
“They have to make sure they scout these players thoroughly and from what I hear, Crystal Palace do that. Doak was part of a few young players who all came through at the same time at Liverpool.
“He went off to Middlesbrough where he’s done well and got himself into the Scotland squad. He’s done well at that level too, by all accounts. But whether he’s going to be good enough to break into the Liverpool team any time soon, I’m not convinced, especially when they’re looking to sign new players.”
Time for Liverpool to cash in on Doak?
This is a tricky decision for Liverpool to have to make, considering what an exciting prospect Doak is, possessing so much pace and trickery and having the raw ingredients to become a top-class winger.
That said, if Arne Slot doesn’t feel the Scot is quite at the level to make the grade at Anfield, the club have to consider cashing in and getting good money for him in the summer transfer window.
It is also hard to see how Doak is going to feature prominently for Liverpool for the time being, so he will have to weigh up if he is happy warming the substitutes’ bench.
Ultimately, a lot may rest on how much a club bids for the speedy youngster in the coming months, and while keeping him would be no bad thing, there will surely be a temptation to accept a sizeable offer.
