Alex Scott of Bournemouth during the AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace Premier League match at Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England on 3 May 2026 Credit: Ian Stephen/Every Second Media
Alex Scott of Bournemouth during the AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace Premier League match at Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England on 3 May 2026 Credit: Ian Stephen/Every Second Media
Liverpool’s long-running interest in Alex Scott has refused to go away, and the midfielder’s situation at Bournemouth is once again under the spotlight.
Andoni Iraola’s relationship with the 23-year-old remains the central thread of the story.
The Liverpool head coach worked closely with Scott during his time at the Vitality Stadium before leaving the club to take charge at Anfield this summer.
Reports in recent weeks have been split on where that interest actually stands.
Some outlets have claimed Chelsea are growing increasingly confident of landing Scott in January, with the midfielder said to be drawn to working under Xabi Alonso, while others have placed Liverpool in the stronger position because of the Iraola connection.
Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has now weighed in publicly, and while he stopped short of naming Liverpool, his comments leave little doubt about the scale of the challenge facing his club in trying to keep hold of their prized midfielder.
Speaking to talkSPORT ahead of Bournemouth’s Europa League tie against AC Milan, the club’s first-ever fixture in European competition, Foley addressed Scott’s contract situation directly.
“At this point, we’re convinced we’re the right place for Alex to be and to stay, and we’ll keep on addressing the contract issues with Alex as we move through this year,” Foley said.
“We’d love to have Alex stay here and sign a new contract and be part of this team for the long haul, and we’re still working on it.”
He then turned to the interest from elsewhere.
“We haven’t given up, but sometimes players get stars in their eyes, and they think that Chelsea or Manchester City is the right place to go,” Foley said, adding that he “hated to lose” Antoine Semenyo, who left Bournemouth for Manchester City in January.
Scott has two years left on his contract and has turned down previous extension offers, including one that would have made him the club’s highest earner.
Chelsea had a £64million bid rejected last summer, and Bournemouth are understood to have since softened their stance over a January sale, with the midfielder valued at around £100million.
Foley’s remarks come with Bournemouth struggling domestically.
The club sit 15th in the Premier League under new head coach Marco Rose, with just one point from their opening seven matches, and Foley confirmed he would meet football operations chief Tiago Pinto after Wednesday’s team photo to begin planning for January.
Liverpool have yet to make a formal move for Alex Scott. Whether Iraola’s personal ties to the player are enough to overcome Chelsea’s momentum, as some reports now suggest, remains to be seen.
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