Since his appointment as Chelsea manager in the summer, Xabi Alonso has been very versatile.

Earlier in the season, Alonso claimed that he would be flexible with his formation and tactics, which has proven to be the case so far. He started the campaign with a back three before moving to a back four in recent matches.

Although they lost, Chelsea’s system in their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland over the weekend was not really an issue. Losing their one-v-one duels, namely Levi Colwill being outmuscled by Brian Brobbey, and not having a recognised No.9 is why they were beaten.

The set-up Alonso went with actually addressed one of the Blues’ biggest issues this season. And if he sticks with it, it could be perfect for one of the club’s primary transfer targets.

Alex Scott would have been perfect for system Xabi Alonso used against Sunderland

Against Sunderland, Chelsea used a sort of 4-3-2-1/4-3-3 shape. With Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Jordan Henderson all starting, it gave the team far more control in midfield, which has been a problem at times in the current campaign. Replace Henderson with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, for example, and that is a really exciting engine room.

Scott runs about 3.0 km and completes 10.90 sprints per 90 minutes, which are not bad figures for a player in his position, as per FotMob. He can also craft out opportunities, creating 2.22 chances per 90.

You would not necessarily say that Henderson cannot do the same. In fact, Henderson’s running stats are still quite positive, especially for a player his age. However, you cannot ignore that the former Liverpool captain is 36 now. Henderson will start to slow down, while he is more of a deep-lying controller than a box-to-box No.8.

Lavia can easily do Henderson’s job and then some, while Caicedo is the midfielder who wins the ball back. Add Scott to the mix, and you have a fantastic engine in the midfield who is going to be an influence in both boxes.

Scott’s defensive numbers are not bad either. He is making 12.11 defensive actions per 90, meaning the England international is outperforming nearly 80% of his positional peers. A midfield of Scott, Caicedo and Lavia would be perfectly balanced.

Of course, most Chelsea fans would prefer to see Alonso use a 4-2-3-1 formation, as that is the only way to get Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian into the same starting XI.

But Alonso is likely to continue being flexible, meaning we could see a midfield three from time to time, and Scott is perfect for that kind of engine room set-up.

Last season, Andoni Iraola told TNT Sports that Scott was becoming the “complete player”. At Chelsea, more eyes will be on him. The Three Lions star will get the chance to prove that claim if he does join the Blues in 2027.