Everton are considering a summer move for Liverpool’s Ben Doak as David Moyes’ rebuilding plans take shape. The Blues finished the season with 15 members of their first-team squad entering the final weeks of their contracts.
And it has already been confirmed that Abdoulaye Doucoure, Ashley Young, Asmir Begovic, Joao Virginia, Neal Maupay and Mason Holgate will officially depart the Blues at the end of this month. Jack Harrison, Orel Mangala, Jesper Lindstrom and Armando Broja have all returned to their parent clubs.
Doak, who spent the first part of last season on loan with Middlesbrough, before returning to Liverpool due to injury, is a player Moyes admires – and Everton are believed to be watching his situation at Anfield.
The winger moved to Merseyside from Celtic for £600,000 in March 2022 and has made ten appearances for the Reds, who also rejected a bid from Crystal Palace for the Scotland international in January.
But while speculation continues around Doak’s Liverpool future, Scotland boss Steve Clarke has been told how to get the best out of the youngster on the international stage.
Doak missed the recent round of international matches, due to a hamstring injury, but former Liverpool assistant manager Clarke has been told to follow what Brendan Rodgers did during his first spell in charge of Celtic.
“If you think back to when Brendan Rodgers was first in charge at Celtic, for example, and we talk about systems and as if it’s like they’re static,” former Scotland international Michael Stewart told BBC Sportsound.
““They’re not, these are fluid. Celtic, they had that back four of Lustig, the two centre halves and Tierney.
“And what would happen was Tierney would step higher up the park, Sinclair would step off and become like a second number 10, and James Forrest was a bit of a right wing back.
“But he had Lustig there that would slide across and meant he didn’t have to be back as a defensive entity as much.
“So you could look at something like that where Doak’s playing as a right wing-back, but he’s playing more middle to front rather than having to drop back as much.”
Speaking following Liverpool’s friendly win against SV Darmstadt 98, back in August 2023, Reds’ skipper Virgil van Dijk described Doak as the ‘Tasmanian Devil’.
He said: “I remember when he came on against Villa away last year – and he did that stepover and went past the full-back.
“He’s very exciting, very direct, one-on-one. I call him a Tasmanian Devil with the way he’s buzzing around, he’s just so quick.
“If his decision making gets better – and he has all the time in the world for that – then he could definitely be one for the future.”
