Alex Scott was originally employed by Southampton, and if they hadn’t been irresponsible, they might have been the ones to collect the fee.
Alex Scott was undoubtedly one of the young players that Bristol City is known for providing the chance to flourish, but things might have turned out quite differently had Saints held onto the midfield player.
Scott was just one of several players who excelled in the first squad at the Robins after coming through the academy. Young strikers Tommy Conway and Sam Bell, who have both had breakthrough seasons recently and will probably be sold for a healthy profit in the future, are currently enjoying success.
Southampton, on the other hand, has adopted a different approach, acquiring young players from other teams in the hopes that they may one day be marketable commodities. They might now regret allowing Scott to leave, though, considering his success at City and Bournemouth.
Scott, who was born in Guernsey, had few choices when it came to playing for an academy team near enough to his place of residence. The midfielder, who travelled over every weekend to practice and play, signed for a Southampton-based South Coast team when he was just eight years old. He lasted four and a half years with the team.
Unfortunately, Scott’s parents’ and his own sacrifice went unappreciated, and at the age of twelve, he was let out of the academy. The Bournemouth star discussed this with the Daily Echo, saying, “Having to pay for flights each week for four years was tough on my parents as well.” As a family, we made a lot of sacrifices to make it work,
The young player suffered from the stress of having to give up a large portion of his boyhood, and after turning down a contract offer from Bournemouth, his current club, he lost interest in football.
His professional career took off after he played for the local team Guernsey FC. After a fruitful trial, Bristol City scouts quickly recognised his skill and signed the islander.
Bristol City gained from Southampton’s setback, and Scott quickly proved to the team’s members that he was deserving of a shot. He made his debut in a 3-2 loss to Luton when he was just 17 years old, and on the last day of the season, he started his first game against Brentford.
Scott had two extremely successful seasons after that. He dazzled with his developing ball-carrying skills and his adaptability to play any position in the midfield. He played surprisingly effectively in an erratic team during his two seasons in the South West, averaging 7.0 in each.
His outstanding play from the previous season also won him a spot on the EFL Championship Team of the Year, and he received Young Player of the Season as just compensation.
So, it was not shocking when Bournemouth and Wolves expressed interest in him throughout the summer. The 20-year-old signed for his former youth squad for a fee of £25 million, and Southampton will be considering that now that the Midlands club is facing a financial fair play dilemma.
Scott was one that definitely went away for Southampton. He might have been a great player for the Saints and would have undoubtedly contributed every week if he had joined the team by now.
Furthermore, Scott has been playing well for Bournemouth and will probably light up the Premier League once he settles in. Pep Guardiola, who hailed him as “an unbelievable player” during the Robins’ FA Cup matchup against Manchester City last season, has already showered him with accolades. It seems only a matter of time until the “Guernsey Grealish” takes the football world by storm and leaves Saints supporters wondering—what if?
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