Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick insists Blues and Crystal Palace target Ben Doak remains focused on playing for the Teessiders despite the speculation regarding his future.
Doak, 19, was the subject of a rebuffed £16 million bid from the Blues a week ago with the Eagles having had an earlier £15 million offer similarly knocked back by the Scotland international forward’s parent club Liverpool.
Both clubs are understood to be maintaining their interest with Brentford and Fulham also having been linked. The Merseysiders are claimed to want a fee of between £25 and £30 million for the forward, who has made 18 starts and three sub appearances for Boro since joining them on loan in the summer, scoring twice.
"He's absolutely fine, no problem, no difference,” Carrick, a close friend of Town boss Kieran McKenna from their time working together at Manchester United, said at his pre-match press conference.
"He just gets on with his work as he has from day one. It suits him here. It's a good place to be, he's enjoying his football, he's learning, developing, having a great experience. I've got nothing but positive things to say about Ben.”
Quizzed on whether Doak would prefer to stay on Teesside until the end of the season or move elsewhere, Carrick added: "It's difficult for me to answer that. It certainly suits him in many ways.
"There's no denying some of it is out of our hands but I'm really calm and content. Hopefully it plays out and we're all happy and we still have Ben. We're in a good place and it's a good place for him.”
Born in Dairy in North Ayrshire, Doak was a youth player with Ayr United and Celtic and made two senior sub appearances for the Glasgow side before moving on to Liverpool aged 16 in March 2022 for training compensation of £600,000.
Since making that move, Doak, who primarily plays on the right, has made four starts - all in cups - and six sub appearances - three in the Premier League - for the Reds.
Doak has won six full Scotland caps in addition to appearances at U16, U17 and U21 levels.
Town are looking for three forward players this summer, a number nine and two forwards for the roles behind the main striker with Aston Villa’s Jaden Philogene’s £20 million-plus-add-ons move close to being confirmed.