Liverpool 'enter driving seat' for Premier League superstar that will transform Andoni Iraola's side

Liverpool have entered the 'driving seat' for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and hold a key advantage over Chelsea in pursuit of his signature.

Scott has quickly become one of the Premier League's most talented midfielders since joining from Bristol City in 2023 and made his England debut in the 2-0 victory over Czechia during the international break before starring alongside Elliot Anderson in the 7-0 drubbing of Croatia.

An international call-up was a reward for the incredible talent he has displayed at the Vitality Stadium, though even the most enthusiastic of Bournemouth supporters accept that he will soon ply his trade at one of Europe's biggest clubs.

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Liverpool are in the 'driving seat' for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott

During the summer, the Cherries were adamant that Scott wasn't for sale after rejecting multiple bids from Chelsea, with one of those rising to £68million.

But the Europa League side have reportedly softened their stance on selling the 23-year-old in January after he refused to sign a new contract with the club.

For that reason, it appears they are willing to offload one of their prized assets - if certain conditions are met - with his current deal expiring in June 2028.

The Daily Mail reports that Bournemouth want £100million for the all-action midfielder, and Liverpool are in the 'driving seat' due to Andoni Iraola's link to the player.

It was, indeed, the Spaniard who captured Scott from Championship side Bristol City for £25million in August 2023 and was responsible for transforming him into one of the Premier League's best in his position.

Scott was Iraola's seventh-most-used player during his three years at Bournemouth before the manager completed his switch to Anfield in the summer after guiding them to European football for the first time in their history.

It remains to be seen whether the Englishman will reunite with his former boss in January, as it seems unlikely Liverpool will pay £100million for a player whose contract expires in 18 months, but a transfer bidding war cannot be ruled out.

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What Alex Scott has said about Andoni Iraola

Liverpool haven't invested in a central midfielder since 2023, when Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all arrived on Merseyside.

But the position is in desperate need of reinforcements, and Scott is the perfect player to help transform their engine room into a well-oiled machine.

The Englishman is incredible in almost every department, including his ability to receive the ball on the half-turn, break lines with his passing, and drive forward with purpose.

Scott impressed with those attributes under Iraola and has continued to showcase his star-like talent during a difficult start for Bournemouth under Marco Rose.

That being said, he would surely welcome the opportunity to join Liverpool and reunite with Iraola, at least based on his previous admiration for the Spaniard.

"I feel like I have had his trust," Scott explained during the summer. "Defensively, maybe in my first two seasons, I wasn’t at the level to be playing in the Premier League, and that is something I had to learn from the players ahead of me in the team.

"But he put his trust in me from the first game of the season, and I played 34 full games this year, so that is something to be really proud of.

“The manager has been amazing for me, working with me going forward, defensively, and being more aggressive."

Scott's future is certainly one to monitor ahead of January, with Liverpool and Chelsea set to battle it out for the midfielder.