Liverpool are reportedly preparing a back-up plan if they are priced out of a move for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, either in January or next summer. The Reds are one of several clubs credited with an interest in the England international, but the Cherries could demand as much as £115m for the 22-year-old.
According to CaughtOffside, a potential alternative is Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha, 26, who is valued at a more reasonable £75.9m. The German, who came through Manchester City's academy, signed a new Dortmund contract in January and would reportedly be open to returning to the UK. Chelsea are also said to be interested in Nmecha, as they are in Scott, but that is not believed to have put off Liverpool.
Iraola's Squad Concerns After Brentford Win
Liverpool secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Brentford on Saturday, with second-half goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak overturning Keane Lewis-Potter's header on 44 minutes. The match turned when Brentford's Yehor Yarmoliuk was shown a red card on the stroke of half-time, and Vitaly Janelt received a second yellow card in stoppage time. Despite playing with nine men, Brentford threatened an equaliser.
The win leaves Andoni Iraola with plenty to ponder ahead of Tuesday's home Champions League clash with Villarreal, followed by Brighton's visit on Sunday. Liverpool have maximum points from their first two European games, having beaten Atletico Madrid and LASK.
Murphy Highlights Defensive Concerns
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy expressed concern about the team's defensive structure after the win. Speaking on Match of the Day, he praised the positives: "The positives: They won the game. Isak scoring, great finish. Munoz has been a breath of fresh air. He's a young lad but he's embraced playing at Liverpool. The two young boys, [Rio] Ngumoha and [Trey] Nyoni did well."
However, he added: "Liverpool are too easy to play through, they really are. They're disorganised in the press. I'm not sure whether it's a change of personnel; I'm not sure if they're going to need a bit more time. [Florian] Wirtz is playing as a 10 behind Isak. He's not in the right position, they're not ready to press. I think at the moment, although Liverpool show moments when they go forward and they've won today, they are far too easy to play against and are conceding far too many chances to be competitive at the top of the table."
