Celtic player 'rejects' Parkhead contract as two reasons see him take Ben Doak route out of Hoops
The highly-rated youngster has been on the radar of Liverpool and Nottingham Forest since the summer.
Celtic prospect Dara Jikiemi has rejected a new contract at Parkhead as the teenager agrees a deal to make the switch to Liverpool.
The 16-year old has already demonstrated leadership qualities, having captained the Scotland under-15 side. What also makes him an attractive option for the English giants is his versatility, given that he has featured at both centre back and defensive midfield for the young Hoops this season.
A number of other clubs south of the border were interested in Jikiemi’s services including Nottingham Forest, however the situation ultimately came down to staying at Celtic or heading to Merseyside. The defender reportedly chose Liverpool due to the ‘long-term vision’ and first team ‘pathway’ under Scottish Sporting Director, Richard Hughes. In making the Anfield switch, Jikiemi is following a similar path to other young SPFL stars of the past.
Liverpool in for Celtic academy ace
According to TeamTalk: “Liverpool have won the race to sign highly-rated Celtic youngster, Dara Jikiemi, after convincing the teenage defender to make the move south of the border. The English champions have been working on a deal for the 16-year-old since the turn of the year, identifying the versatile youngster as one of the brightest prospects in Celtic’s academy setup.
“Jikiemi, who is comfortable at centre-back but can also operate in midfield, has now opted to reject Celtic’s offer of a three-year deal in favour of a switch to Anfield. Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that the teenager has agreed to join Liverpool on a scholarship, with a professional contract already lined up for when he turns 17 next January.”
A familiar pathway
An academy move from Celtic to Liverpool may trigger memories of Ben Gannon-Doak for Hoops fans, who made the switch from Glasgow to Merseyside in 2022. The 20-year old winger moved to Bournemouth in the summer for a fee of around £25m and helped Scotland qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, with an assist for Scott McTominay’s acrobatic effort against Denmark.
Former Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay is another who made the Liverpool switch when he was a teenager. The 22-year old signed a five-year contract at Anfield in June 2022 for a fee of around £4.2m, a club record sale for the Dons at the time. Other Hoops academy stars to take the plunge and move south of the border include Conall Glancy, Daniel Cummings, Aidan Borland and Rory Mahady, who went to Tottenham, West Ham, Aston Villa and Leeds respectively.