Liverpool are 'closing in' on a move for Celtic rising star Ben Doak.
The Reds are on the verge of signing the Hoops academy graduate, who only turned 16 in November, according to The Athletic.
Doak has yet to sign a professional contract with Ange Postecoglou's men which means the Parkhead club are only due minor compensation from his looming departure.
Liverpool were quick to pounce on the situation, as a result, as they fend off competition from a number of tops clubs around Europe to seal Doak's signature.
Celtic were keen to tie Doak down to his first professional deal and handed him first-team minutes against Dundee United and Rangers this season to convince the teenager to stay in Glasgow.
But the allure of working under Jurgen Klopp, who is renowned for developing young talent, was said to be too good to pass up.
Who is Ben Doak?
Ben Doak, who plays as a winger and an attacking midfielder, has been described as the best talent of Celtic’s 2005 pool of academy players.
The youngster's rise over the last 12 months has been rapid, having only made his debut for Celtic’s B team in December, just a couple of weeks before appearing on the bench against St Johnstone.
Doak was then given his debut against Dundee United in January as he came on with the score tied 0-0 in a must-win game.
Doak showed promise, as Liel Abada scored a stoppage-time winner, with good dribbling skills and a low centre of gravity which meant was then given a taste of derby day a few days later against Rangers in a 3-0 victory.
He has only accrued 25 minutes of first-team action but Postecoglou was impressed with the teenager's impact against United as the Aussie reckons he is a "fantastic kid" with terrific composure.
“Ben’s been training with us for a while,” said the Celtic boss. “It was Stephen McManus, actually, who brought him into the group. He’s a fantastic kid who comes from a good family. He looked really composed for his age.
“He’s have grown up a bit today, it will give him a different perspective on life. He probably would have been on the other side of the terracing if he hadn’t been playing!”
Doak started attracting attention from Champions League-level clubs, including Liverpool, but it appears the Reds have won the race for the rising star.
Doak's potential exit is a huge blow to Celtic given their recent history of losing talented youngsters as Liam Morrison and Barry Hepburn joined Bayern Munich, while Josh Adam left Celtic for Manchester City.
It's a low-risk, high-reward move for Liverpool as they reckon they have a player on their hands that will eventually be good enough for the first team, given the right pathway.
