Liverpool could rip up transfer plan after cruel twist of fate and Arne Slot hint

The 2023/24 season started so well for Ben Doak at Liverpool. He scored his first goal for the club in a pre-season win over Leicester City, came on as a substitute on the opening day of the Premier League season against Chelsea, and made his full debut against LASK Linz in the Europa League.

But while making five first team appearances, taking his overall total for the Reds to 10, he still found himself caught in limbo.

On 10 occasions he was an unused substitute under Jurgen Klopp. Other times, he was the extra man in the Liverpool travelling squad.

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He struggled for rhythm as his game-time was limited, with his first team commitments clashing with Under-21s matches to ensure he could not gain much-needed minutes on the pitch.

It was somewhat cruel that when he did make his first U21s appearance of the campaign against Chelsea in December 2023, it would also prove to be his last as he ended up suffering a season-ending knee injury.

In a further cruel twist of fate, an injury crisis at Anfield saw the emergence of ‘Klopp’s kids’ as Liverpool went on to win the League Cup. If not side-lined, Doak would have picked up plenty more senior minutes.

A lengthy lay-off did not prevent the uncapped youngster from being included in Scotland’s squad for Euro 2024, but he was forced to contend with a further blow as injury ensured he had to withdraw from contention.

As a result, while a number of highs last season for Doak, there were also plenty of lows. What started with one big step forward was ultimately followed by two steps back.

Those who have followed the youngster’s progress closely since his £600k arrival from Celtic in the summer of 2022 will tell you the same thing. He is a very exciting talent, blessed with blistering pace who can beat players for fun.

Yet the teenager is still raw with an inconsistent final ball. It was clear that a disrupted campaign had limited the progress he had been expected to make.

Still, it was a surprise in the summer to many when it was reported that Liverpool would be willing to listen to permanent offers for one of the prized jewels in their youth ranks.

After a summer with Arne Slot’s first team in pre-season after reporting back fit from injury, he ultimately signed for Championship outfit Middlesbrough on a season-long loan at the end of August.

Head Coach Michael Carrick had been desperate to sign the young Scot, with Head of football Kieran Scott recently revealing in an interview with BBC Tees that the Boro boss went to them early in the summer and said if Doak became available, he'd want him.

He did not have to wait long for the forward to make an impact, with Doak scoring on his full debut for the Teessiders against Stoke City back in September. But his progress since then has been even more pleasing.

Benefitting from regular football, the 19-year-old returned three assists in back-to-back games against Queens Park Rangers and Luton Town as Boro ran out 4-1 and 5-1 winners before the international break, before helping to create John McGinn’s winner for Scotland against Croatia on Friday night.

‘Stealing the show’ from Luka Modric, he repeatedly got the better of Man City’s £77m defender Josko Gvardiol and was given a standing ovation at Hampden Park when withdrawn in stoppage-time.

“I thought they did that for every sub!” he joked after the final whistle. “It was nice getting a round of applause but I don’t really look too much into that. If it was a wee bit extra then great, I really appreciate the support of all the fans.”

Meanwhile, of shining against world class opposition, he said: “Obviously before the game there was a few butterflies, a bit of nerves. But once you’re on the pitch, I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone else but once I’m on the pitch I don’t see names or faces.

“I just see another team there to try and beat us and we need to try and beat them. When I’m on the ball, I don’t notice who I’m up against. It’s just a kit, that’s all I see. So I just try and do my best.”

Be it for loan club or country, Doak is winning more and more plaudits by the week. That in part, perhaps led to Slot teasing he should recall the teenager from Middlesbrough last month.

"We have six forwards and only have four left," Slot said after injuries to Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota. "Maybe we should bring Ben Doak back!"

With Boro chasing a play-off place, statistically the Scot is even rivalling the best forwards in Europe at the moment. JLA FC posted on social media that only Vinicius Junior and Bradley Barcola boasted more carries into the penalty than Doak this season, who has only played 10 games.

But it is the improved final ball that should be most pleasing, with Doak boasting a goal and three assists from those 10 appearances.

Teesside Live reports that, as is standard with most loans, Liverpool did insist on inserting a clause that would allow them to recall Doak during the January transfer window. However, they understand that Boro officials are relaxed about the situation as things stand.

It’s easy to see why, given how well Doak is performing on loan with the Championship outfit. Having been starved off much-needed game-time last season, he is simply better off where he is at the moment.

Boro and Scotland team-mate Tommy Conway recently backed the forward to even get back into the Liverpool team when he eventually returns to Anfield.

"I’ve put my arm around Doakie and looked after him a bit. But he has taken to it here at Boro like a duck to water," said Conway. "I can’t say enough about him.

“He’s like what he is on the pitch off it as well - he’s electric. The boy’s always at it. Hopefully we can both take that on to the international stage and cause carnage there.

"When Doakie is dribbling with the ball, going at someone, you just know something’s going to happen. And as a striker myself, that’s what I want. He’s going to chuck in a stepover, get to the byline and put in a cross, which is great for me.

"He can do that for Scotland as well. You saw it in the last camp. I watched the Croatia game where he gave Gvardiol a hard time. When Doakie came back, he joked that he had him in his pocket. That sums him up.

"His pace and skill is there for everyone to see. He’s still a young boy with so much to learn but he has never lacked confidence. He thinks he should start every game for Scotland. As a footballer, you have to think like that.

"He started against Croatia and Portugal and was buzzing because they’re top sides. That will definitely stand him in good stead. You can tell Doakie has been around a first-team environment for a long time. He knows how to handle himself in a changing room, which can be hard at times.

"He’ll go back to Liverpool thinking he should start and that’s credit to his character. When you have that mentality it’s going to happen. When he eventually goes back there I expect him to get in the team."

Liverpool might have been open to permanent offers for Doak last season, but he has already taken vital steps in just three months with Middlesbrough. Give him a full season and he will flourish even more, with his current performances certainly living up to the hype.

First-choice under Carrick at the Riverside Stadium, he is belatedly getting what he so clearly needed last season before injury intervened, with such a setback making it even more of a necessity this year. The Reds' decision to loan the forward out Middlesbrough is so far certainly coming across as a masterstroke as he continues to make up for lost time and missed opportunities.

And should Doak keep up his current form, with that final ball getting better and better as he enjoys more rhythm and consistency courtesy of regular senior game-time, he could ensure Liverpool bosses have an even more difficult decision to make next time they sit around the table to discuss the highly-rated starlet’s future.

Or maybe it won't be difficult at all, if Conway's bold prediction is actually proven right.