Liverpool Signs Scotland U16 Captain Dara Jikiemi

Liverpool have landed one of Britain’s most coveted teenagers, with Scotland Under-16 captain Dara Jikiemi turning his back on Celtic to join the Anfield academy in what insiders at the club see as a statement signing for the next decade.

The deal, long in the making and first flagged in March, will see the highly rated youngster arrive on Merseyside this summer on a scholarship agreement. He is due to sign his first professional contract when he turns 17 in January, but Liverpool have gone much further than that. An agreement is already in place for a long-term professional deal when he turns 18 in January 2028 – a level of planning that underlines just how hard the club has pushed to secure him and how highly they rate his ceiling.

A calculated raid on Celtic

Celtic did not want to lose him. Inside their academy, Jikiemi had been viewed as one of the standout prospects of his age group, a player around whom future plans could be built. He had options to stay, offers on the table, and a clear route into senior football in Glasgow.

He chose Liverpool.

For the Anfield hierarchy, it is more than a simple youth signing. Those close to the deal believe the club have executed a piece of business that could save them millions in future transfer fees if Jikiemi develops as expected. Liverpool’s academy staff are convinced they have secured a player with genuine first-team potential and have already mapped out a long-term pathway designed to carry him from Kirkby to the senior squad.

This is not a speculative punt. It is a carefully engineered move for a teenager many inside the game regard as a generational talent.

Leadership, talent – and a trend

Jikiemi’s reputation has grown rapidly. As Scotland Under-16 skipper, his leadership stands out as much as his technical polish. Coaches and scouts talk about his presence, his authority at a young age, and the way his ability on the ball matches the responsibility he takes without it. He is already viewed as one of the elite prospects in his age bracket across the UK.

His switch also continues a pattern that will sting in Glasgow. Jikiemi is following a now-familiar path from Celtic to Liverpool, mirroring the move made by Ben Doak, who left the Bhoys as a teenager and has since pushed his way towards the first-team picture at Anfield. Each successful case only strengthens Liverpool’s hand when they come calling for the next emerging star.

Inside the club, sources describe Jikiemi as one of the standout recruits of this current youth intake across Britain and Ireland. The expectation is clear: the short term is about development in the academy, but the long-term vision is a serious challenge for senior minutes.

Building the next Liverpool

This signing slots neatly into a broader strategy. While the spotlight naturally falls on big-money additions for the first team, Liverpool have quietly continued to invest heavily in elite youth, assembling a pool of talent designed to sustain the club’s ambitions for years.

The commitment to Jikiemi – scholarship now, professional deal at 17, long-term contract pre-agreed for 18 – is a strong public indicator of that belief. It is rare to see such a defined contractual roadmap laid out so early. Liverpool are effectively betting that by the time he reaches adulthood, they will have a ready-made option emerging from within, rather than paying a premium on the open market.

The recruitment drive does not stop with Scotland’s Under-16 captain. The club have a developing and serious interest in Mexico’s World Cup breakout starlet Gilberto Mora, another teenager whose performances have caught the eye of Europe’s biggest sides. Long-time admirers Manchester United are expected to hesitate over a complex multi-club chase, which could hand Liverpool a clearer run if they decide to move.

Ayyoud Bouaddi also features on Liverpool’s radar, though any move for the Morocco international would be costly, with Lille now set to demand a huge fee to even consider a sale.

For now, though, the focus at Kirkby is on Jikiemi’s arrival. Liverpool believe they have secured one of the most exciting young players of his generation. If their conviction proves right, this quiet summer move from Celtic to Anfield could be remembered as one of the most important signings of Liverpool’s next era.