Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been reacting to Liverpool’s swoop for Celtic youngster Ben Doak, as per GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Doak set for Liverpool move

The 16-year-old is yet to pen a professional contract at Celtic Park but has made two senior appearances under Ange Postecoglou in 2022.

He was linked with a move to Liverpool and Chelsea back in January, with the Reds now reportedly close to a cut-price move.

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Celtic may well be in line to receive just £150,000 in compensation for the teenager, who now looks set to become the latest youngster to leave Parkhead for elite European destinations in recent years, following on from the likes of Liam Morrison, Barry Hepburn, Josh Adam and Liam Hughes.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that it is ‘hard’ for Celtic to compete financially with the likes of Liverpool. He outlined:

“Unfortunately, I think for Celtic, and a lot of the clubs in Scotland, they just can’t compete financially with what’s on offer in England.

“So, I think it’s hard for these clubs to try and keep hold of their best youngsters because it comes down to finances, and they’re going to move down to England because that’s where the money is compared to the Scottish Premiership.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Postecoglou is clearly a big fan of Doak, recently labelling him ‘fantastic’, so losing him for a small fee isn’t good news for Celtic.

The Hoops are reportedly planning to revamp their academy by looking at each player’s potential pathway into the first team and communicating with the players so that they feel more involved when it comes to their early Parkhead careers.

That could help to convince youngsters to remain at the club over the coming years, but it seems as if Doak is heading south and cannot be persuaded to stay by Celtic chiefs.

In other news: Insider claims there is a 'realistic' chance that Celtic will smash transfer record this summer; target now 'keen'