Ben Doak will not return to Middlesbrough even if they enter the Championship playoffs, with the injured Liverpool winger also facing an uncertain future.
Doak was the standout performer among Liverpool’s loanees this season and one of the best young players in the Championship.
But the 19-year-old’s campaign was brought to a premature end in February due to thigh surgery which, last week, he confirmed would rule him out for the remainder.
Middlesbrough could still qualify for the promotion playoffs on the final day of the Championship on Saturday, but either way, Doak will stay on Merseyside for treatment.
However his future beyond that is unclear, with “mass interest” from other clubs in the Premier League expected to prompt a decision from Liverpool.
That is according to the Mail‘s Lewis Steele, who reports that a number of sides from the English top flight want to bring Doak in on a permanent transfer.
Bids from both Crystal Palace (£15m) and Ipswich (£16m) were knocked back in January, with Liverpool valuing their No. 50 at around £30 million, and Steele adds that the Reds “would not be in a rush to sell him.”
There is certainly a chance that he moves on, though, with a revamp of Arne Slot‘s attack expected in the summer transfer window.
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Offers could be encouraged for Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, while Harvey Elliott may also be considering his options after what he admits has been a “difficult” season.
Doak has been outstanding in the Championship but may not have the right profile for a winger in Slot’s system, particularly as backup to Mohamed Salah.
Clearly much will depend on the scale of offers for the teenager, as if any bids are made in the region of £30 million, Liverpool would be minded to sell.
But there will be confidence that, at his age and with his potential, there will be no drop in value for Doak if he does stay as part of the wider first-team squad next season or even head out on loan again.
Of course the player himself will have a say, and after proving himself with three goals and seven assists in 24 games on loan at Middlesbrough he may be eager for more starting football at a decent level.
Ipswich have already been relegated to the Championship so it is unlikely that they will return with a new offer, but Palace cannot be ruled out at this stage.
