Liverpool’s summer transfer window is shaping up very differently compared to the dramatic spending spree the club embarked on just twelve months ago.
The Reds splashed out heavily in the summer of 2025, landing high-profile targets in an ambitious attempt to retain the Premier League title for a second consecutive season.
That plan ultimately collapsed, with manager Arne Slot paying the price and being sacked from his position at Anfield following a disappointing campaign.
Slot’s replacement is Andoni Iraola, who has now had several weeks to settle into his new role on Merseyside as the club looks to rebuild its direction.
Transfer activity under Iraola has been relatively quiet so far, with Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz the only confirmed arrivals, the latter coming after Liverpool hijacked a Newcastle move late in proceedings.
Finding a replacement for Mo Salah remains the club’s most pressing priority, with RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande considered a top target before his expected move to PSG complicated matters.
Attention has also turned to midfield reinforcements, with Iraola reportedly keen to bring in players he knows well from his time managing Bournemouth.
Alex Scott, valued at around £80m by the Cherries, and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who some circles value at £100m, have both emerged as serious targets for the club.
Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has now backed the club to complete signings of both players, speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of World Cup betting site William Hill.
Heskey said of the first target: “Andoni Iraola will know Alex Scott’s qualities from Bournemouth, having managed him already, and I can definitely see him making the step up to play for Liverpool.”
Scott, who was born in Guernsey, was widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League last season, although he was not included in Thomas Tuchel’s final World Cup squad.
He was, however, part of England’s pre-tournament group alongside Rio Ngumoha, Ethan Nwaneri, and Josh King, a sign of the regard in which he is held at international level.
Heskey went on to address both midfield targets together, reinforcing his belief that either player could thrive under Iraola at Anfield this coming season.
“A club of Liverpool’s stature comes with different demands though, the levels of expectations there are through the roof,” Heskey said. “But either Scott, or Adam Wharton, would be a perfect fit for Liverpool.”
The current transfer market has shifted dramatically, with Manchester City’s £116m move for Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali’s £100m switch to Tottenham Hotspur resetting expectations around English player valuations.
Those blockbuster deals have only added to the sense that signing both Scott and Wharton could require Liverpool to commit to a combined outlay in the region of £180m.
Heskey also used the conversation to reflect on just how valuable elite midfield talent has become in the modern era of football transfers.
“It makes you wonder what Steven Gerrard’s price tag would be in the current game,” Heskey said. “It would be more than £200m, that’s for sure.”
With the World Cup still ongoing and several deals expected to be resolved once it concludes, Liverpool’s midfield business is likely to accelerate significantly in the coming weeks.
Whether Iraola can secure both targets remains to be seen, but if Heskey’s endorsement carries any weight, the duo could yet make Anfield their new home.