SerpApi.Org
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola was delighted for Alex Scott when the Bournemouth star received his first England call-up, and the player's high praise for his former boss has led to speculation he could follow him to Anfield.
Iraola has touched down in the United States with Liverpool ahead of his first preseason tour with the club, starting in Chicago before heading to New York and Nashville. The club has signed Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz, and Samuel Martinez this summer, with other targets still being pursued.
Bradley Barcola remains a top priority as Iraola looks to replace Mohamed Salah, but one of his former stars has rejected a second new contract proposal. Scott is under contract with Bournemouth through 2028, but his hesitance to sign a new deal could lead to his departure.
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Scott is a highly-rated midfielder for Bournemouth, and the 22-year-old is valued at $100 million. However, his value will decrease as his contract nears expiry, meaning Bournemouth could be forced to cash in.
The England midfielder has been linked with Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United, but has a lot of admiration for Liverpool head coach Iraola from their time at Bournemouth. When Scott received his first England call-up last year, Iraola was delighted for one of his top prospects.
"I am very happy for him and happy for the club," Iraola said. "I am pleased for him. I think he has been playing very well, and also, I suppose the good performance with the under-21s in the summer has also been very valuable.
"I am very happy for him and happy for the club because in an English club, to have someone representing your country, I think, is good. Especially for him, but also for the club.
"Alex is very smart, and he knows a lot of the teammates from the young [England] teams. For sure, he has to use this chance to learn everything he can, keep fighting, and keep being very humble, so it’s not just once, and he has more chances to establish himself for more opportunities."
Scott has represented England from under-18 level through to the under-21s, but did not feature for the senior team in World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania. Scott enjoyed a breakout season for Bournemouth and credited Iraola for his progression.
"I feel like I have had his trust," Scott explained. "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."
When asked what Liverpool fans could expect from Iraola as a head coach, Scott insisted that they should be excited. "He is obviously a great manager; you see what we have done as a club at Bournemouth and how we have progressed over the three seasons he was with us,” Scott said.
"I think the way we press out of possession is very aggressive, maybe similar to the early Klopp teams Liverpool had, that fierce aggressiveness and pressing with the wingers. I would say he is similar to that. Liverpool fans should definitely be so excited."
