Chelsea have expressed an interest in signing Celtic's Ben Doak, according to The Daily Mail

The lowdown

The Athletic's James Pearce reported at the start of this week that Liverpool were close to signing the 16-year-old.

The Hoops have tried to convince him to stay, handing him first-team opportunities against Dundee United and Rangers, but it seems that the player's head has been turned. It's understood that he has his heart set on the idea of working under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

The latest

The Daily Mail's Brian Marjoribanks has now revealed that Liverpool aren't the only 'leading Premier League club' to pursue Doak, as Champions League holders Chelsea have also made known their admiration for the winger.

However, Marjoribanks corroborates Pearce's report that Liverpool are currently poised to win the race for the teenager.

The verdict

It's no surprise that Doak has caught the eye of elite clubs south of the border. After all, playing top-flight football at the age of 16 is certainly no mean feat.

In the words of his former academy coach Martin Miller, the teenager is 'very quick and very good on the ball'. Furthermore, he boasts a 'fantastic' attitude and impressive composure on the big stage, according to his manager Ange Postecoglou.

Celtic are only due to receive a meagre compensation fee given that the player has yet to sign a professional contract. Indeed, The Daily Mail claimed that the figure could be as low as £150,000.

You would wonder just how lucrative his sale could have been if the Hoops had managed to keep hold of the 16-year-old for another couple of years and top clubs had continued to track him.

In other news, Alan Hutton has slammed this Celtic player