Liverpool are reportedly set to battle with two fellow Premier League clubs for a teenage talent who’s earned glowing praise from an England international.
According to the Daily Mail, the Reds could rival West Ham and Wolves in the chase for Bristol City gem Alex Scott.
The 19-year-old was watched by Anfield head of recruitment Dave Fallows and chief scout Barry Hunter when England under-20s took on Germany last month, when he played 70 minutes in his country’s 2-0 win (Transfermarkt).
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The Ashton Gate youngster was dubbed a ‘top, top talent’ by Jack Grealish on Twitter in recent weeks following the Robins’ FA Cup clash against Manchester City.
The two managers from that game have also hailed Scott, whose boss Nigel Pearson called him a ‘unique talent’ with a ‘very impressive temperament’, while Pep Guardiola dubbed him an ‘unbelievable player’ (via Marca).
The 19-year-old can adapt to a variety of midfield roles, having played as a number 6, 8 and 10 during the season so far, also lining out on the right flank on occasion (Transfermarkt).
He’s already closing in on 100 senior club appearances despite not turning 20 until August, even if none of those have come at Premier League level (Transfermarkt).
However, Pearson has said that any prospective suitors would need to stump up £25m for Scott (via Bristol Live), which seems quite excessive for a fledgling talent with no top-flight experience.
Also, Fabio Carvalho offers a cautionary tale of a young player who Liverpool signed off the back of impressing in the Championship, only to find first team opportunities at Anfield quite hard to come by.
The 20-year-old has played just 69 minutes of senior action since the turn of the year (Transfermarkt), despite the Reds’ much-discussed issues in midfield.
If Scott were to find it equally difficult to forge a place in Jurgen Klopp’s side, then paying £25m+ for him would be foolish from FSG’s perspective.