Liverpool will have the option of recalling Ben Doak in January.
Ben Doak made it clear that he believes Middlesbrough is the ideal option for him right now, sending a clear message to Liverpool management ahead of the January transfer window.
Doak is on loan to Boro till the end of the season and is having a fantastic season, establishing himself as a star in the Championship. He has transformed Boro’s offensive and has been a major component in the club’s much better form, which has propelled Michael Carrick’s side into the top six.
Boro brushed off stiff competition to sign Doak in the summer, and the Scotland international has previously expressed how much he enjoys his time at the Riverside. However, with Doak continuing to impress and improve his reputation, Liverpool’s decision in January looms, as the Reds have a recall provision that may be exercised at any time during the winter window. When asked by Sky Sports if Boro was the greatest place for him to be right now, Doak replied, “Yes, without a doubt. I believe we play some of the finest football in the league, and a lot of that comes from the right side. I think it suits me really well, and I have a terrific bunch of men.
Boro are hoping that Liverpool will continue to value the 19-year-old’s regular football and the development he is experiencing on Teesside under Carrick and co. With Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with Arne Slot surrounded by striker options, Boro’s only risk is that they see potential worth in recalling him to find a loan move to a lower-tier Premier League side for the second half of the season. However, given the risk in an increasingly rigorous league, where such a move would rip up all the positive integration and promises that Doak’s start at Boro have garnered him, there remains hope that Doak will remain at Boro for the balance of the campaign to continue his goal of helping the club back to the Premier League.
Given how effectively Doak is playing and how he disrupts almost every Championship defense he encounters, his retention would significantly increase Boro’s prospects of promotion. The fact that Boro’s season took off when the loan star settled in and established himself in Carrick’s starting lineup is no accident.
Doak responded, “I don’t really see it as trying to make it a playground, I think it’s just what I’ve been good at since I was young,” when asked about his performances and the suggestion that he appears to be on the playground. I simply play to my abilities, and I want to perform well while doing so.
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