Liverpool Midfield Target Alex Scott Rejects New Deal With Premier League Rivals Chelsea Entering The Race

Liverpool's transfer focus this summer has been heavily on the winger position, following the departure of legendary forward Mohamed Salah. However, midfield was an area of concern for the Reds last season, with Ryan Gravenberch looking tired due to the high number of minutes he was required to play and Alexis Mac Allister looking off his usual sharp self for a significant part of last season.

All of this has been enhanced by the speculation regarding Curtis Jones' future at the club, meaning LFC have been linked with signings in midfield, with Alex Scott being a player that Andoni Iraola knows very well.

The English midfielder was signed by Bournemouth from Championship side Bristol City for €23 million (£19.6 million) in 2023, and despite a difficult start to life on the South Coast due to injuries, once he put those issues behind him, he began to show his worth.

The versatile midfielder flourished playing in Andoni Iraola's high-pressing, high-intensity system, becoming a key part of the team and even earning himself a chance to show his abilities on the training pitch. Alex Scott featured among the three players called up in Thomas Tuchel's pre-World Cup Training Squad ahead of the tournament beginning.

The main teams interested in Scott this summer are top-level Premier League sides, which include Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, who have all expressed an interest at some point this summer. The first of those is Chelsea have reportedly had a bid of around £64 million turned down by Bournemouth. 

The Cherries value the midfielder at £80 million, but even then, they are still adamant that they want to keep the midfielder for next season, a season in which the club will need to face the demanding schedule of balancing domestic and European football.

It has also been reported in the last week that Alex Scott has rejected a new contract offer from Bournemouth, with his current deal running until 2028.

As for Liverpool, it's clear to see why people may create links between Alex Scott and Liverpool, especially with Andoni Iraola's arrival at Anfield. However, midfield isn't at the top of the priority list at the moment, with a new winger and another defender being more wanted areas of recruitment by Liverpool and Andoni Iraola.

A move for a midfielder could be pushed up the priority order depending on the futures of current LFC midfielders such as Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister, who have both been linked with moves away this summer

Alex Scott will be a fantastic signing for any one of the clubs linked to him, and if Liverpool were to make a move for him, the club would have a slight advantage given that Andoni Iraola was the man who helped him take his game to the next level. But with Bournemouth not needing to sell Scott this summer, this saga could quite easily roll into next summer's transfer window.