Liverpool braced for £25m exit to boost funds for second Alexander Isak transfer bid

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Liverpool are set to complete yet another transfer to continue their summer of work and to boost their funds amid the chance they return for another Alexander Isak bid before the window shuts
Ben Doak is set to complete a £25million transfer from Liverpool to Bournemouth - with only the formalities remaining after the clubs came to an agreement this weekend. The Scotland international did not feature in the teams' Premier League season opener after a breakthrough in discussions and now a deal is all but done.
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Doak, 19, spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough, where he recorded three goals and seven assists in an impressive stint before injury curtailed his 2024/25 campaign. Liverpool paid £600,000 to sign the talented prospect from Celtic in 2022 and January saw Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town interested in his signature.
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Liverpool valued him near the £30m mark at that time with prospective bids expected to be closer £15m. Now, Reds bosses have agreed a deal worth £25m with the Cherries after they identified Doak as the ideal candidate to replace new Brentford star Dango Ouattara Andoni Iraola, per Liverpool Echo.
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Bournemouth fended off competition from Porto and Stuttgart to advance their deal. The south coast side were previously reported to be keen to reduce the fee required to land the young star.
Liverpool appear to have achieved the fee they wanted to part ways however, to continue a significant summer of business. While the Anfield side have spent hefty fees on the likes of Florian Wirtz, the club will have raised £215m following Doak's exit.
The ex-Celtic youngster follows the likes of Jarell Quansah, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez out of the door. And such business leaves Liverpool primed to return for Alexander Isak if encouraged by the Magpies to do so.
Isak was absent for Newcastle's opening match of the season against Aston Villa having not trained with the first team amid his stand off with the club over an exit. Eddie Howe's side missed the Swede's cutting edge as they failed to capitalise as their hosts went down to 10 men in the second half.
Liverpool saw a £110m offer turned down for Isak earlier this month, with the forward said to have suggested he would not play for Newcastle again. Howe has indicated that he remains open to the striker's return despite the dispute.
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Fans vented their feelings on Isak following the draw at Villa Park and criticised his stance.
"Nothing has changed - but the door is well and truly open (for Isak)," said Howe. "But he has to decide what he wants to do. We would like a resolution, when I say we I am talking about myself and the ownership, the players we have, we need that clarity.
"This season, any Premier League season is hard enough, you don't need any type of distraction to swerve your thoughts and unbalance what we are doing. I am certainly not in control of that, there is only one person who is in control of that."
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