Chelsea have been linked with Bournemouth's midfield maestro Alex Scott, and Andoni Iraola has previously waxed lyrical over the Englishman.
The Blues have continued their pursuit of a new manager following Liam Rosenior's sacking in April, with Iraola emerging as one candidate.
The Spaniard has done an exceptional job in charge of Bournemouth since becoming manager in June 2023 and has them on the brink of European qualification this term.
Remarkably, if Aston Villa win their Europa League final against Freiburg and the Cherries finish sixth, where they currently reside, then Iraola will guide his side to Champions League football.
That would be a fairytale ending to his three years on the South Coast after confirming he will depart at the end of the season, with a switch to Stamford Bridge becoming a possibility.
Chelsea want Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott
Although Crystal Palace have offered Iraola a lucrative three-year deal, according to reports, Chelsea remain keen on luring him to West London.
The 43-year-old has already admitted he wants to stay in the Premier League and has spoken to the Blues hierarchy about the role at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea can therefore do their best to persuade him to join if they can't land Xabi Alonso, and successfully hiring the Spaniard could present the chance to land one or two of his Bournemouth players.
That includes England international Scott, who the Blues have enquired about ahead of the transfer window — as per SportsBoom — while Manchester United are "leading the race" for his signature.
Scott has been an instrumental cog in Iraola's midfield this term, featuring in all 36 of their Premier League matches, with Bournemouth pushing hard to agree fresh terms with the midfielder.
The 22-year-old - who has three top-flight goals to his name in 2025/26 - sees his current contract expire in 2028, and that leaves supporters of the club anxiously waiting for his future to be resolved.
Andoni Iraola's 'amazing' comments on Scott
Reinforcements in Chelsea's engine room aren't at the top of their agenda, with other positions taking priority, but if Iraola is hired by BlueCo, Scott being a transfer target makes sense.
Iraola was the one who brought the youngster to Vitality Stadium from Bristol City for around £25 million in 2023, and it wouldn't be surprising if he tries signing him again elsewhere.
Bournemouth's manager once lauded Scott as an "amazing" talent following their impressive 2-1 victory over Arsenal in April.
"Alex [Scott] has been like this for many months," the Cherries boss told BBC Sport.
He was amazing. He's in such good form. I'm so happy for him. He's worked a lot to be at this level."
Iraola was also quick to praise Scott after he was called up to the England first-team squad for the first time in November.
"I am pleased for him. I think he has been playing very well and, also, I suppose the good performance with the under-21s in the summer has also been very valuable.
I am very happy for him and happy for the club because in an English club, to have someone representing your country I think is good. Especially for him but also for the club.
Alex is very smart and he knows a lot of the teammates from the young [England] teams.
For sure, he has to use this chance to learn everything he can, keep fighting and keep being very humble, so it’s not just once and he has more chances to establish himself for more opportunities."
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