Iraola Targets Alex Scott as Liverpool's First Signing

Andoni Iraola has not wasted any time at Liverpool. Days after signing a two-year deal to replace the sacked Arne Slot, the new man in the Anfield dugout has reportedly pinpointed the player he wants to launch his rebuild.

Alex Scott.

Not a marquee forward. Not a headline-grabbing centre-back. A 22-year-old Bournemouth midfielder whose stock has been rising quietly but relentlessly.

Iraola’s First Big Call

Liverpool’s fifth-place finish and empty trophy cabinet last season forced a reset. Slot paid the price, and Iraola has walked into a club in transition, with major figures Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate all set to depart at the end of the season.

That kind of exodus usually triggers a scramble. Instead, Iraola appears to be starting with something more deliberate: control of the middle of the pitch.

According to Sports Boom, the Spaniard has identified Scott as the ideal first signing of his Anfield tenure. It is a bold choice, but a logical one.

Scott has been described as “unbelievable” after a standout campaign with Bournemouth, a season that has pushed him from promising youngster into one of the most talked-about midfielders outside the traditional elite. His performances have not gone unnoticed; several top clubs are tracking his situation closely.

Bournemouth Dig In, Scott Looks Out

Bournemouth know what they have. Scott is central to their plans and, at 22, represents both present quality and future value. The club are desperate to keep him and are preparing a new contract offer that reflects his status as a key player at the Vitality Stadium.

The problem for Bournemouth is timing. It is understood Scott is open to a new challenge at this stage of his career, and the prospect of signing improved terms on the south coast is fading. When a player’s reputation soars, ambition often follows.

Liverpool are watching that dynamic carefully. They are weighing up a move designed to test Bournemouth’s resolve and their valuation. Reports suggest the Cherries could hold out for as much as £60 million, but, according to Jamie Dickenson, Liverpool are working off a figure closer to £40 million.

Somewhere between those numbers lies the first major negotiation of Iraola’s reign.

The Midfield Question at Anfield

Liverpool’s midfield has been a nagging issue. On paper, the options looked strong last season: Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai. On the pitch, too often, they were overrun.

The balance never quite felt right. Games slipped away in the centre of the park, not through a lack of talent, but through a lack of cohesion, legs, and control.

Jones, a homegrown product and at times a symbol of the club’s faith in youth, is now heavily linked with a move away as he enters the final year of his contract. If he goes, Liverpool lose energy, press resistance, and a player who understands the club’s demands.

That is where Scott fits in.

He profiles as a direct replacement for Jones in terms of role and zones, but with his own twist: relentless work-rate, sharp technical quality, and the kind of composure that allows a side to play through pressure rather than around it. He brings energy. He brings skill. He brings a modern, all-action interpretation of the midfield role.

Why Scott Makes Sense for Iraola

For Iraola, the move is about more than talent. It is about trust and ideas.

Scott has already thrived under demanding tactical structures and high-intensity systems. Bringing in a player who understands those demands would ease the adaptation phase as Liverpool adjust to a new manager with clear principles.

If Liverpool can land him at their preferred price, it would be an astute first signing: young, Premier League-proven, tactically flexible, and with the ceiling to grow into a cornerstone of the next Anfield era.

The message would be clear. This rebuild will not be built on nostalgia or sentiment, but on legs, intelligence, and control in midfield.

Liverpool’s pursuit of Alex Scott is still at the valuation and negotiation stage, but if Iraola gets his way, the first brick of his Anfield project will be laid in the heart of the pitch.