Crystal Palace have reportedly baulked at Liverpool's asking price for up-and-coming attacker Ben Doak, but the Reds could be willing to let him go for lower than their valuation.
The 19-year-old shone for a Middlesbrough side that are pushing for a playoff place in the Championship table, contributing three goals and seven assists from his first 24 Championship games of the season.
However, Doak has been sidelined with a thigh injury since the end of January, and there are fears that the Scottish starlet could sit out the remainder of the season as he recovers from surgery.
Nevertheless, having showcased his abilities in the second tier of English football, Doak may be deemed ready for the step-up to the Premier League next season, albeit potentially not at Anfield.
Liverpool's bitter rivals Everton have been linked with a shock approach for the 19-year-old, while Palace and Bournemouth have also been tipped to try to prise him away from the red half of Merseyside.
Liverpool to accept £20m Ben Doak fee?
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According to Football Insider, Liverpool initially wanted as much as £30m for Doak, but Premier League adversaries Palace - who failed with a £15m offer in January - are not prepared to go to that high.
Instead, the Reds may be prepared to listen to lower offers, as relayed to the publication by former scout Mick Brown, who said: "Palace are interested in Doak, but they're not going to spend £30m.
"That's where Dougie Freedman's exit will be a blow, because they'll be looking to negotiate with Liverpool to bring that price tag down. Doak is a very promising player and one Palace have on their radar.
"I don't see him coming into the Liverpool team, and to be honest I'm not sure he would start for Palace with [Eberechi] Eze, [Jean-Philippe] Mateta and [Ismaila] Sarr. But you're buying potential with him because he's got plenty of promise.
"That £30m price tag is a bit steep in those terms, you don't pay that for a player who isn't going to make an immediate impact on the team. So I'm sure they'll speak to Liverpool and look to bring that price down.
"Liverpool will be open to that as well because they want to move him on and make some profit, even if it's £10m or so below what they would ideally want."
Could Doak still have a future with Liverpool?
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It is easy to forget that Doak has already been a part of the Liverpool setup for three years, having left Celtic's academy ranks back in 2022, and the teenager could hardly have asked for a better mentor in Mohamed Salah.
Doak's chances have understandably been fleeting so far, just 10 appearances in all competitions, and he will be on the fringes of the team for as long as Mohamed Salah is at the club.
The Egypt international looks set to sign a new deal imminently, but neither Federico Chiesa nor Harvey Elliott's futures are set in stone, so Salah could find himself needing some backup in 2025-26.
Doak could very well provide that backup and deserves the chance to prove himself in the top flight, but if it is frequent minutes he is after, he will not attain them at Anfield barring a severe Salah injury.
Ben Knapton
