Middlesbrough could suffer as Ben Doak's Liverpool exit stance emerges with Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace circling | OneFootball

Liverpool loanee Ben Doak is reportedly keen on leaving Middlesbrough to join a Premier League club permanently this month

Ben Doak is reportedly open to cutting his loan deal with Middlesbrough short in order to leave parent club Liverpool on a permanent basis, with fresh suitors joining the hotly-contested race for his signature as an intense January transfer saga begins to unfold.

That's according to a recent report from The Sun, where Doak's own stance on his immediate future has seemingly been revealed amid fresh interest from the likes of Brentford, Fulham and Celtic following unsuccessful bids from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.

The highly-rated teenage prodigy has been in electric form for Middlesbrough this season, scoring twice and making six assists from 21 appearances as Michael Carrick bids to secure a second top-six finish in three campaigns at the Riverside Stadium.

Boro are currently fifth in the Championship, helped considerably by the dazzling performances of the exciting winger. However, speculation surrounding his future has been rife following the commencement of the January window.

Ben Doak's transfer stance emerges amid Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town and Celtic interest in Liverpool, Middlesbrough loan star

The report states that Doak has indicated his willingness to prematurely conclude his loan spell on Teesside, which would open the door to leaving Liverpool permanently.

Doak hasn't been short of interest as of late, with reports revealing he's been the subject of a £15 million bid from Palace along with a £16 million offer fielded by Ipswich, both of which were rejected by Liverpool.

It's said that the Reds are holding out for a £30 million deal for Doak, which would reportedly consist of a £20 million upfront fee supplemented by an additional £10 million in add-on clauses. Arne Slot's side are also set to demand a number of additional clauses alongside a buy-back clause, with the view to potentially returning Doak to Merseyside in the future.

His future evidently isn't decided just yet, of course, with a host of clubs interested in acquiring his signature this month.

As per The Sun's report, Brentford and Fulham are now both keeping an eye on Doak, who is also of interest to boyhood club Celtic - where he came through the academy before joining Liverpool in 2022.

Doak himself is believed to favour a switch to the Premier League.

Middlesbrough FC's Ben Doak transfer stance amid Premier League interest

Middlesbrough will be naturally intent on retaining Doak for the season's entirety, but that hope has been handed a potential blow following fresh reports.

The Athletic recently reported that Liverpool are satisfied with his progression in the North East this season, but of course, every player has a price and the player's own reported stance may well add complications to Boro's hopes of coming out of the window with him still at the club.

Previous reports have claimed that Boro are desperate to retain Doak, but unsurprisingly, they're not in contention to sign him permanently and would only be a realistic destination on such terms in the event of promotion to the Premier League.

One could imagine Boro will do everything in their power to keep him. However, as the parent club, Liverpool will ultimately have the final say and should their price be met along with Doak being open to an exit, that's exactly what Carrick should perhaps be bracing for at this moment in time.