Bournemouth star Alex Scott with shirts of Liverpool and Chelsea Photoshopped on him
Liverpool and Chelsea both have designs on signing Alex Scott
Chelsea sources believe they are ‘on track’ to secure the signing of Alex Scott in the January transfer window despite the lingering presence of Liverpool and a potential reunion with Andoni Iraola – though TEAMtalk understands that Bournemouth’s £100m asking price has now thrown one European giant completely out of the race.
We exclusively revealed on Monday that there was a growing sense at Stamford Bridge that a deal could be done for Scott this season after courting him for several months, and despite their efforts to prise him away from Bournemouth over the summer ultimately falling short.
And after it was revealed that the player has since rejected all attempts by the Cherries to tie him down to a new deal, an offer that would have made him the best-paid player in Bournemouth’s history on a deal worth around £150,000 a week, the south-coast club now look prepared to entertain offers for the 23-year-old – and with a sale this season no longer ruled out.
However, any deal will hit his suitors hard in the pocket, and, as revealed on Monday, his status as an England international has now seen his value skyrocket to new heights.
Despite that, Chelsea sources remain confident they can win the race for Scott in the January transfer window, with sources at Stamford Bridge believing the two-cap England man will find the opportunity hard to resist.
Indeed, the Blues feel the chance to line up alongside Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers under Xabi Alonso, in a squad packed with exciting young talent, gives them a strong chance of persuading the midfielder to move to the capital.
And those close to the situation say the overall package at Chelsea is viewed as highly attractive and could prove decisive once formal talks over a transfer do officially begin.
However, that’s not to say they will have things all their own way and Liverpool, now managed by former Cherries boss Iraola, cannot yet be discounted from the race…
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Indeed, with the Cherries failing to agree on a new deal, it’ll now likely come down to two factors: which club matches their £100m valuation and which of his two major suitors can convince him to move.
But in addition to Chelsea very much being on the scene and alerted to his situation, sources insist Liverpool cannot yet be discounted from the race.
In fact, we understand that Iraola has made it clear to the Liverpool board that he would love to add him to his ranks, albeit with a summer move, rather than a winter window raid, initially being part of their thought process.
Whether the Reds bring forward that plan will depend on several factors, namely funds available, their interest in other players who can do a similar role for the side – Roma’s Manu Kone and Lamine Camara of Monaco are also listed by Liverpool – together with the other very obvious additions Iraola needs to add to his squad.
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In light of all that, Liverpool continue to monitor developments and cannot be considered out of the race for Scott.
We understand AC Milan are also keen and hold a long-standing interest in the player, albeit with sources now making it clear that the Italian club will not be in a position to meet Bournemouth’s asking price.
The Cherries are adamant that their £100m demand is reasonable to sell in January, a figure they regard as reflective of the current market for top young central midfielders and with the fee paid by Manchester City for Elliot Anderson cited as a comparable benchmark.
The race for Alex Scott is well and truly ON 🔥
@FrazFletcher https://t.co/qrsXqqmN4f
— TEAMtalk (@TEAMtalk) October 14, 2026
With no new deal in place, Bournemouth face a difficult decision if a formal bid arrives. They remain reluctant to lose a key player midway through the campaign, yet the absence of a contract agreement has now significantly weakened their options.
Chelsea’s belief that a deal can be done rests on the combination of sporting project and financial strength, while Liverpool’s interest adds another layer of intrigue ahead of what is sure to be a closely watched January transfer.
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