Chelsea are expected to renew their interest in AFC Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott during the January transfer window, with the 23-year-old potentially costing as much as £100m.
The Blues made a £64m offer for Scott in the summer, but AFC Bournemouth rejected the bid. Chelsea are now expected to return with another proposal, while sources close to the situation believe the club’s position may have softened.
AFC Bournemouth would reportedly consider selling Scott in January if they receive an offer close to £100m. Their willingness to negotiate could also depend on their league position. If they are fighting to avoid relegation, and given that Marco Rose’s team has made a poor start to the season, the club would be even less likely to allow the midfielder to leave.
Chelsea spent heavily during the summer transfer window and are expected to continue investing in the coming months. Scott has been on their radar for some time, while Liverpool are also among the clubs aware of his situation.
The England midfielder’s contract with AFC Bournemouth runs until June 2028. The club have tried to secure his long-term future, but Scott has rejected several offers to renew his deal. Liverpool are managed by former AFC Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola.
Former Norwich and Derby striker Chris Martin believes Scott is likely to move on soon.
“Alex Scott looks like he’ll be the next £100 million player,” Martin said in an interview with a website.
“I don’t think AFC Bournemouth can hold onto him anymore. He’s outgrown AFC Bournemouth at this stage, which shows they have developed and nurtured top players. AFC Bournemouth will probably be frustrated about having to sell, but the money they could receive would be hard to refuse.
“Alex is a top talent who’s been linked with all the top clubs, so there’s nothing surprising about that. His performances for England during the international break have proven his quality. He’s fully capable of playing for a top team, so it will be interesting to see which clubs are interested and where he wants to go.
“He’s very level-headed, a very good lad, and down to earth, so you wish him all the best. It will be interesting to see his choice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has three or four top clubs to choose from.”
AFC Bournemouth owner Bill Foley said earlier this month that the club were still working to keep Scott. Speaking to a sports radio station, Foley said: “At the moment we are confident that Alex is best served here, and we will continue to discuss contract matters with him for the rest of the year. We certainly want Alex to stay, sign a new contract, and become a long-term member of this team.
“We haven’t given up, but sometimes players get stars in their eyes and feel that Chelsea or Manchester City are the places to be. We believe that if we continue to invest in infrastructure and maintain a unified leadership approach within the team, we will start to retain more players.
“People will be surprised, and they will also receive considerable salaries here. We must respect the fact that many of our players are still young, and when they join AFC Bournemouth, they expect to get playing time and then potentially move to a bigger club.”
