Chelsea have enjoyed an excellent start to the summer transfer window, but there's still plenty of work to be done before deadline day in September.
Alex Scott of Bournemouth during friendly fixture between St Pauli and AFC Bournemouth at Saalfelden Arena on July 24, 2026 in Saalfelden, Austria
Alex Scott has been linked with a move to Chelsea(Image: Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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Alex Scott remains a Chelsea target. The Bournemouth midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as Xabi Alonso looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park, but the Blues are yet to wrap up a deal.
At first, it appeared as if Chelsea were going to sign Granit Xhaka from Sunderland. football.london understands that the Blues were interested in signing the 33-year-old, and submitted an opening bid worth just £8m.
Higher-ups at the Stadium of Light were furious with the offer, which they believed was wide of the mark. Xhaka was understood to be open to reuniting with the Blues manager, with whom he had worked closely during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.
While Chelsea prepared a new and improved proposal, the Black Cats learned that Xhaka would not try to force an exit. So, Sunderland held firm, and the Blues failed to secure the Swiss' signature.
Fast forward a month or so, and Chelsea are yet to sign a new midfielder. Speaking to reporters in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, Alonso suggested that there's still work to be done in the transfer window this summer.
The Blues manager said: "We need to know that probably there will still be some movements. We need to be flexible and quick to act. The main thing is that we have a clear idea, a clear plan that we have built. Probably it will change until the last day of the market being open."
So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up everything you need to know about Scott and a potential transfer to Chelsea this summer.
Chelsea continue search for new midfielder
football.london understands Chelsea have several targets in the centre of midfield, and there is expected to be movement in that department before the transfer window closes at the start of September. As it happens, the Blues recently had a £64m bid for Alex Scott rejected by Bournemouth.
After catching the eye last season, the Cherries midfielder has attracted interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. It's understood that Bournemouth are insistent that Scott is not for sale this summer.
The 22-year-old midfielder is said to have turned down a contract extension offer from Bournemouth earlier this month. His current deal at the Vitality Stadium expires in June 2028.
Bournemouth boss provides update
Midway through July, Marco Rose provided an update on the futures of Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi. The new Bournemouth boss told reporters: "So far, I don't have the feeling that anyone is trying to leave the club. I think Alex knows what he has with this club, and it's always about the right moment to do the next step.
"Because if you are a young player, and you do steps – and nowadays, it happens many times – too fast, too quick, then it's getting difficult. The club is doing a lot of things to show the players that they are in the right place."
Scott idolises Arsenal and Chelsea stars
During an interview with Transfermarkt back in February 2026, Scott named Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo as two of his idols. The Cherries midfielder began: "The best for me in midfield is probably Declan Rice. I think he's just a machine.
"He's a powerhouse. He can defend, attack, and he's good in the build-up. He progresses the ball so well. And obviously for me, when I've been in the England squad with him in the last camp, getting to know him as a person - he's a really good guy and helped me so much when I went with the camp.
"We were always talking off the pitch after games and stuff. So he's probably someone, especially in the Premier League, that I look up to. To get to his level one day would be a dream of mine. So yeah, Dec is probably the hardest that I've played against."
Scott added: "To be fair, Moisés Caicedo is also tough. I'm maybe not directly against him as much as he's more of a sitting midfielder. But you just know he's got that factor where dribbling past him is always going to be hard.
"It's similar to Tyler [Adams] that we have here in training. You never really want to go at him with the ball because you know how good he is at tackling and defending one-v-one."
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