Liverpool winger Ben Doak is a genuine target for Everton this summer, which could bring the first senior transfer between the two clubs since 2002.
No player has made a direct transfer between the two Merseyside clubs since Abel Xavier in 2002, while the last to move from Liverpool to Everton was Gary Ablett in 1992.
While there have been less formal switches at academy level it is certainly rare for a player to cross the divide as a senior player.
Doak could buck the trend this summer, however, with Sky Sports the latest to report on Everton‘s interest in the 19-year-old winger.
Having impressed on loan at Middlesbrough in 2024/25, the Scotland international is expected to attract a number of clubs in the summer transfer window.
Sky Sports report that Everton “want to sign” Doak, which follows recognition of their interest from reliable sources on Merseyside including the Times‘ Paul Joyce and the Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe.
Liverpool want Doak back for pre-season
However there is an expectation that the teenager will first be assessed in pre-season at the AXA Training Centre – starting July 8 – before any decision is made over his future.
Of course much could depend on the scale of offers presented to Liverpool in the coming month, with the club reported to value Doak at around £30 million.
Doak signed a long-term contract with Liverpool in 2023 but it is unclear when that deal will expire – however there is no indication it will run out in the near future.
The club should be in a strong position when it comes to negotiations over a sale regardless, having rejected offers from both Ipswich and Crystal Palace in January.
Those bids only reached as much as £16 million, with Liverpool understandably holding out for more for one of the standout performers in the Championship during his spell at Middlesbrough.
While there is a strong chance he would be considered for a transfer there is still a possibility Arne Slot opts to keep Doak for next season.
Fenway Sports Group’s Michael Edwards and Julian Ward visited Middlesbrough’s Rockliffe Park training ground in December, with The Athletic‘s James Pearce reporting they were “delighted with how Doak has embraced the experience.”
That level of contact suggests there remain firm plans for the teenager if he does stay at Anfield, though his taste of a regular starting role at Middlesbrough could realistically prompt a push for a move elsewhere.
As a specialist right winger, Doak will find himself behind Mohamed Salah in the pecking order at Liverpool, while right-sider Jeremie Frimpong has also just signed for £29.5 million.
