Outcasted Liverpool centre-back Ben Davies is wanted by Championship outfit Middlesbrough this summer, as well as Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Both clubs are believed to have made contact with the Premier League runners-up already in regards to a move for the 26-year-old, who is free to leave Anfield this summer after not kicking a ball for the club since his 2021 arrival.

Liverpool paid just £500,000 to Preston North End for Davies' services in the midst of their defensive injury crisis, but he never got on the pitch for Klopp, and was sent out on loan to Sheffield United for the 2021-22 campaign.

Davies appeared 22 times for the Blades in their journey to the second tier play-offs, but did not feature in the Yorkshire side's final four league games of the season, nor did he play a single minute of their play-off semi-finals against Nottingham Forest.

He could end up back in the Championship though for the 2022-23 season, with Boro manager Chris Wilder - who was reportedly interested in the left-footer in December 2020 at Sheffield United before his switch to Liverpool - looking to bring him to the Riverside Stadium.

Wilder will face competition though from Ange Postecoglou at Celtic Park - the Hoops are another club who have had a long-standing interest in Davies and had even agreed a pre-contract deal with him in January 2021 before Liverpool swooped.

Liverpool are looking for a financial package of around £4 million for Davies - a big profit on what they paid for him 18 months ago.

The Verdict

Davies proved for a number of years at Preston North End that he is a top Championship defender, and perhaps his moved to Liverpool has knocked his confidence a tad.

He wasn't his usual self at times for Sheffield United, and the season ended with him out of the team, with Jack Robinson taking his place.

Middlesbrough need fresh options at the back, and Chris Wilder has always liked having a left-footed player in his back three who can bring the ball out from the back.

He did not have that option available to him in his first half-season with Boro, but Davies could provide that, and there's no reason why a permanent transfer couldn't be done here.