Chelsea have verbally agreed personal terms with Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott. This now likely means Liverpool will turn their attention to alternative options to bolster their midfield.
During the summer, Liverpool chose not to sign a direct replacement for Curtis Jones, instead betting on Trey Nyon. However, injuries to Ryan Gravenberch and Dominic Szoboszlai have exposed a shortfall in their squad. Wataru Endo and James McConnell are struggling to meet the standards set by manager Andoni Iraola, leaving Alexis Mac Allister as one of the few reliable options available.
Both clubs were vying for Scott's signature, but Chelsea have moved much further along in negotiations. The transfer fee is expected to be between £90 million and £100 million.
Journalist Florian Plettenberg reported that Liverpool's second target is Lamina Kamara from Monaco, with Felix Nmecha from Borussia Dortmund currently not prioritised. A move for Kamara would be significantly cheaper, likely costing around £47 million.
Simon Phillips provided further details on Chelsea's pursuit of Scott.
At the end of last week, I heard that Chelsea wanted to finalise the deal before the transfer window closes. They hope to have everything sorted by the end of December so Scott can contribute as soon as possible. Chelsea are aiming to agree on a fee with Bournemouth, reported to be around £90-100 million. Alonso has spoken to Scott and convinced him to join Chelsea. The deal isn't finalised yet, as other clubs are also interested. Scott might reconsider, and Chelsea haven't agreed on a price with Bournemouth yet. The terms are on the table, and Scott has verbally accepted them, fitting into Chelsea's wage structure.
