Some players break the mould. They break through as one thing and develop into something entirely different. Something very few ever imagined they’d become.
Alex Scott falls into that category.
The Bournemouth midfielder, previously nicknamed the 'Guernsey Grealish while turning out for Bristol City, signed for the Cherries in 2023 in a £25million deal. He’d been linked with a host of clubs before the South Coast side pulled the trigger on the reigning Young Player of the Year in the Championship.
It was a risky move. While playing in the second tier of English football, Scott had impressed as a fleet-footed ball carrier, capable of playing a number of positions. There wasn’t an obvious fit for him, though the feeling was he’d be used in an attacking role due to his ability to play those killer passes.
There were also concern over his robustness. He’d suffered a knee injury during his time with Bristol City and joined Bournemouth with a meniscus issue. It ruled him out for a considerable chunk of his debut campaign in the Premier League.
After playing over 6,100 minutes across two Championship seasons, Scott was limited to 1,800 minutes across his first two campaigns with Bournemouth.
How would a player who was viewed as a bit of a luxury attacker handle playing for a struggling team? How would he handle the physicality of the Premier League?
Fair questions at the time. Now, though, they look to be silly ones.
Scott dominated the English top-flight last term as part of Andoni Iraola’s double pivot. Though he’d played in a withdrawn role for Bristol City from time to time, few would’ve expected him to develop into this duel monster against some of the best players in the world. But Scott did just that.
The 5ft10 midfielder was one of the breakout stars of the 2025/26 season and likely should’ve been included in England’s World Cup squad if it was based on form and form alone.
He made 34 starts for the Cherries as they claimed an unlikely 6th place finish. Scott was averaging almost 12km per 90, one of the busiest players in the top-flight. He won over half of his attempted duels and completed over half of his attempted dribbles. He was regaining the ball and then retaining it, playing as a traditional box-to-box midfielder, usually alongside Tyler Adams and coming up against three-man midfield units.
Scott went from being viewed as a luxury to a necessity. It’s why he’s leapfrogged Adam Wharton as the most sought after English midfielder right now following the sales of Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson this summer.
He's being courted by Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Chelsea reportedly lead the way and view him as a successor to Enzo Fernandez. Scott’s contract situation, which sees him free to leave in 2028, makes him attainable. He’s reportedly turned down a contract extension that would’ve contained a release clause and he’s expected to leave in the summer if someone comes in with a £90million offer. Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on the situation as they look to bolster their midfield ranks and inject some energy into things.
While Chelsea may have a void for him to fill following Fernandez’s move to Manchester City on deadline day, Liverpool’s need for Scott might be a little more pressing.
The Reds aren’t spoilt for choice in midfield and it’s quickly become apparent that Iraola doesn’t fancy Ryan Gravenberch as part of his double pivot. The Dutchman, believed to be on £280,000-per-week, was dropped after the season opener against Newcastle and has found his minutes limited since. He’s even fallen behind Trey Nyoni in the pecking order.
Dominik Szoboszlai is still learning on the job, Nyoni is highly rated but raw while Alexis Mac Allister revealed the club had ended contract talks with him and there were no plans to extend his stint on Merseyside.
It leaves the Reds with a lot to do with their middle third. Their engine room needs fine-tuning and an easy fix for that would be someone like Scott.
After all, Iraola claimed the 23-year-old was ‘becoming a very, very complete player’ last season after he netted the winner against Arsenal.
The Iraola double pivot is physically and technically demanding. Supposed world class players have struggled to operate there for Liverpool so adding someone who not only did a job there but thrived, is a no-brainer.
Scott would join a club with a need for him. He’d join a manager who helped platform him to the best of his abilities last season. The England international would get an environment to flourish and thrive without having to deal with chaos behind the scenes.
It's a win-win for everyone.
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