Andoni Iraola via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Liverpool are eyeing a move for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott after reaching an agreement to sign Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola, according to the Independent.
The Reds have endured a frustrating window up until now, spending months monitoring Barcola's situation at the Parc des Princes. PSG's £140 million asking price for the Frenchman was deemed too steep by the Premier League giants, and their refusal to meet these demands appears to finally have paid dividends.
An agreement has been reached for the wide man, with the deal expected to materialise for a total of £120 million.
Back-and-forth negotiations on the Barcola front have delayed progress in other areas, and Liverpool are now expected to attempt to carry out a flurry of late activity.
Scott is their primary midfield target, but a deal is complicated by Bournemouth's stance on a prospective sale.
Alex Scott Deal Complicated For Liverpool
via Reuters
While midfield is the one area Liverpool are well stocked in regarding depth, they still arguably need to strengthen in this position. Alexis Mac Allister has struggled over the last year, while they still lack a natural defensive midfielder.
According to Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Andoni Iraola is eager to reunite with his former midfield anchor at Bournemouth, Scott.
However, the Cherries have made it clear that they won't sanction the 23-year-old's departure for anything less than £90 million. Liverpool are understood to be reluctant to pay this fee, and there's subsequently a sense around Anfield that they should wait until next year to pursue the England international.
However, Chelsea are also said to be extremely interested in landing Scott. The Blues are still weighing up whether to test Bournemouth's resolve with a substantial offer this summer, or whether to revisit the situation in an upcoming window, as Liverpool might.
This has the potential to create something of a stand-off between the two potential suitors in the few days leading up to the transfer deadline.
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Fees correct prior to summer 2026
Alex Scott Would Solve Problems For Liverpool
via Reuters
Against Newcastle on Sunday, Liverpool looked extremely vulnerable in transition. The Reds pushed their marauding full-backs up, while their midfielders showed a lack of discipline in possession, leading to several moments where Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet were left alone defending the Magpies' counter-attacks.
While at least one conservative full-back might help, the way to fix this would be to add a midfielder who excels on the defensive side of the game. Despite his reputation as a smooth playmaker, Scott is an outstanding ball winner, and this is reflected in the data.
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Alex Scott's Defensive Statistics 2025/26 (League Only)
Stat (per 90)
Defensive Contributions
Tackles
Recoveries
Dribbled Past
Clearances
While not being a high-volume tackler, Scott is excellent at recovering the ball, while he's rarely dribbled past and puts up impressive overall defensive contribution numbers. He'd make a massive difference in Liverpool's midfield.
All Statistics via FotMob - correct as of 27/08/2026