Liverpool and Bournemouth agree £25m transfer for ‘huge profit’
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, Liverpool manager Arne Slot
Liverpool and Bournemouth have agreed a winger’s £25m transfer, and in a roundabout way, it strengthens the Reds’ case with Alexander Isak.
The Reds have shown no hesitation in dismantling the squad that won the Premier League last year. Arne Slot has been given a monstrous warchest to spend, and four new signings immediately made the starting eleven in the Community Shield.
Much has been made of Liverpool’s lavish spending, but the Reds have also presided over a series of high-profile sales.
Around £140m (add-ons included) has been banked from the departures of Jarell Quansah, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez. Handy fees have also been collected from the sales of Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tyler Morton.
Many of those sales have involved homegrown players. Those types of deals are extra lucrative for clubs, with the proceeds logged as pure profit on the books.
And with Liverpool still intending to add Marc Guehi and Alexander Isak to their ranks, another homegrown star is primed to depart.
The Guardian led the way when revealing Liverpool and Bournemouth are close to agreeing a £25m deal for Ben Doak.
The Scot, 19, was signed for just £600,000 from Celtic in 2022 and has become classified as a homegrown player at Anfield.
As such, Liverpool are in line to generate a ‘huge profit’ for a player whose pathway to regular minutes has always and continues to be blocked by Mohamed Salah.
A subsequent update from Fabrizio Romano revealed a deal is now in place.
Taking to X, he wrote: “Ben Doak to Bournemouth, here we go! Deal in place with Liverpool for £25m transfer fee.
“Porto are no longer in the mix since Tuesday as they’ve been informed of deal in place with Bournemouth. Formal steps to follow next.”
Doak sale helps Isak chase
Aside from bolstering Liverpool’s spending power ahead of an anticipated second bid for Isak, the Doak deal also aids Liverpool’s cause in a very roundabout way.
Newcastle won’t let Isak go until they’ve signed one and probably two new strikers. The first to arrive is expected to be Yoane Wissa from Brentford.
Brentford have approved Wissa’s exit after agreeing a club-record £42.5m deal to sign Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.
Ouattara’s replacement at Bournemouth is now projected to be Doak.
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