Bournemouth have reportedly softened their position on Alex Scott’s future, opening the door to a January sale and hoping Liverpool will join a bidding battle for the midfielder.
Liverpool have maintained a watching brief on Scott in recent months, but Chelsea have been the most determined suitors. The Blues made several approaches during the summer, with their strongest offer believed to be worth approximately £68million.
Bournemouth had previously insisted that their leading players—including Rayan and Eli Kroupi Junior—would not be sold before next summer. However, the club are now understood to accept that Scott could leave midway through the season if specific requirements are satisfied.
Those conditions reportedly include Bournemouth looking secure in the Premier League and receiving a fee of £100million. The Cherries are still waiting for their first league victory under Marco Rose, who replaced Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool making a move during the winter transfer window would be unexpected, although the club have shown in recent years that they are willing to act in January when the right opportunity arises.
Bournemouth’s latest stance suggests they are actively trying to create competition for Scott’s signature.
Liverpool’s interest in Alex Scott is genuine, while Bournemouth have become more open to selling the midfielder in January
Scott impressed for England during the latest international break but is currently recovering from a muscle injury
Sources claim Bournemouth believe Liverpool are serious contenders for Scott and may even hold the advantage because of the player’s connection to Iraola.
However, sceptics could argue that Bournemouth are using Liverpool’s interest to push Chelsea towards making a bigger offer.
There is nevertheless no doubt that Liverpool admire Scott. He delivered an impressive display for England during the recent international break before picking up a muscle problem. The key question is whether the Reds would be prepared to pay £100million for a player who would have only 18 months left on his contract in January.
Liverpool are expected to strengthen in midfield over the next year, particularly with no new contract currently agreed for Alexis Mac Allister and no addition made to that area since 2023.
The club also hold an interest in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, who is another player attracting attention from Chelsea.
Leoni latest
Giovanni Leoni has slipped under the radar at Liverpool, and supporters will have to wait longer before seeing the defender back in action.
The Italian has endured a lengthy rehabilitation after tearing his cruciate ligament on his Liverpool debut 13 months ago. He is not expected to return to first-team training until the next international break.
Even once he resumes training, Leoni’s recovery will be handled carefully. His workload will be controlled, meaning he will not participate in every session and will be reintroduced gradually.
Leoni may also appear for Rob Page’s Under-21 side as he works on rebuilding his match fitness.
Liverpool had initially hoped Leoni would return to training in late September or around mid-October, but that schedule has been delayed on several occasions.
Giovanni Leoni has been sidelined since sustaining a cruciate ligament injury on his debut more than a year ago and will now wait at least several more weeks to resume first-team training
Hungarian media stoke Szoboszlai flame
Dominik Szoboszlai remains hopeful of returning to action in the next week after missing the last two games through a hamstring injury – despite claims from Hungary that it is a serious issue.
The vice-captain sat in the stands for Sunday’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City and then was not part of the squad against LASK – although he joined the team in travelling to Austria.
Rumours had suggested Szoboszlai’s injury might have been worse than Iraola’s initial verdict – he said it was just an ‘overload’ on international duty – and Hungarian media then claimed Szoboszlai would miss the next few matches.
But sources close to the vice-captain have played down any fears of the issue being a more serious problem. And then Szoboszlai himself, talking briefly to British reporters after Liverpool’s win at LASK, said ‘we will see’ when it comes to a return in the next week.
He will be given a chance at the very least to be part of the squad travelling to Brentford.
Sources close to Dominik Szoboszlai have played down any fears of the midfielder having a serious injury
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When will young buck Abe be fit?
There is a lot of buzz in the Liverpool fanbase around teenager Josh Abe, who went on the first team’s pre-season tour of America – and many fans have asked Confidential when they can expect him to be fit from surgery on his shoulder.
It is understood he is still about a month away from returning to training.
Mixed zone diaries: s’il vous plait, Bradley?
If only I had not ditched French for German at GCSE! Well, my German’s not up to much either, as I have proved repeatedly on this week’s trip to German-speaking Austria.
After the win over LASK, there was a cordial exchange with hat-trick hero Bradley Barcola where he was asked for a chat in English and declined, to which I – for some reason – said: ‘We can do the interview in French and I’ll get AI to translate it!’
He replied: ‘You speak French?!’
I don’t… and he was soon saying his goodbyes as he left with the match-ball.
Barcola did not need to talk anyway, his facial expression said it all: he was euphoric to open his Liverpool account with a treble. Now can he do it on a cold, autumnal afternoon in Hounslow?
Bradley Barcola was in euphoric mood after opening his Liverpool account with a hat-trick against LASK
Loan watch: Elliott impressing
After starring in the Under-21 Euros in 2025, many might have expected Harvey Elliott to be a fully-fledged international by now. Instead, his prospects have nosedived.
But the recent international break was a chance for Elliott to reset, build fitness and confidence under new Valencia manager Javier Aguirre (who readers may remember from his touchline antics with Mexico at the World Cup).
Elliott changed Sunday’s game against Racing Santander after coming on as a substitute and Aguirre said: ‘When I arrived, I saw the data for Dani Raba, Harvey Elliott, and Hugo Duro, and that they weren’t playing. I watched them train and thought, “These guys have to play”.’
Small steps but it appears the Liverpool loanee is heading in the right direction. Across the city of Valencia, meanwhile, Ifeanyi Ndukwe is making strides at Levante.
The defender, a star of pre-season who could not get a work permit and was forced to leave on loan, has featured in their last three La Liga matches – culminating in a last-gasp equaliser at home to Sevilla on Monday.
His emergence has helped his bid for a work permit in England.
Kop Kids: striker Will is all Wright!
Liverpool battled to a thrilling 4-2 victory in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday afternoon on the outskirts of Linz, coming from two down to beat LASK.
The main man, as has often been the case this season, was young striker Will Wright, who scored a hat-trick and assisted Luca Eden for the other goal.
With Hugo Ekitike out for a bit longer yet and Liverpool having fitness issues in attack, Wright, 18, may soon be knocking on the first-team door.
Young striker Will Wright could be knocking on the first-team door after impressing regularly for Liverpool’s youth teams
The week ahead: Iraola’s date with former right-hand man
One of the first people to text Iraola after the Champions League draw was made was Inigo Perez, the Villarreal boss who was the Basque’s No 2 at Rayo Vallecano.
Perez could not get the necessary work permit to join Iraola at Bournemouth so remained in Vallecas, where his side made the Conference League final only to lose to Crystal Palace.
He is now at Villarreal and has a similar style of play to Iraola. ‘Pressing is the best playmaker,’ he once said, and he has described his team as ‘ordered chaos’.
No doubt the pair will share a glass of red wine at Anfield on Tuesday.