Liverpool to stick to transfer plan despite Chelsea interest

As the New Year edges closer it feels increasingly likely that Liverpool will be active in the transfer market this winter.

The Reds have spent over £650 million since winning their twentieth league title, but Andoni Iroala’s squad is far from the finished article.

A period of heavy transition is underway at Anfield, and the next logical addition to the team is an elite midfielder.

Many options are being linked with a potential Merseyside move ahead of the winter window, but one of the most exciting is Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.

Scott has been one of the most talked about players in the Premier League in recent weeks, but a move to Anfield is far from certain.

Alex Scott update throws Liverpool move into doubt

Links between the twice-capped England international and Liverpool date back to before Iraola’s appointment, but the Spaniard’s connection to the player has amplified things.

Iraola was Scott’s manager at Bournemouth, and it is understood that the coach’s relationship with the player could be one of the factors that gives the Reds the upper hand over their rivals, namely Chelsea.

It was previously reported that Iraola has made it clear to the Liverpool board that he would love to reunite with Scott at Anfield, but that the move is being targeted for the summer of 2027.

Now, a new report from Football Insider has corroborated this, confirming that a move for Scott would be ‘surprising’ in the approaching January window.

The report cites Bournemouth's asking price, believed to be around £100 million, as one of the key reasons the Reds aren’t expected to make a move in the winter.

It is noted that an Anfield switch isn’t impossible in January, but it seems that Chelsea are the party more willing to part with £100 million mid-season to secure the 23-year-old's services.

Liverpool have been known to accelerate their summer plans to the winter window in order to avoid missing out on a top target, see Luis Diaz’s signing, but it appears the Reds intend to stick to the plan and hold out until the summer to make a move for Scott.