Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Chelsea’s pursuit of a replacement for Enzo Fernandez has not stopped simply because the transfer window has ended. Lamine Camara was close, but Alex Scott is emerging as a priority.
The Blues were within minutes of a £47m deal for Camara. The Senegal international was halfway into a Chelsea medical before Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro pulled the plug, keeping Camara.
Alex Scott question graphic
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
He did so with the belief that Folarin Balogun’s move to Everton was back on after complications in his medical. However, Balogun then rejected Everton and Scuro is now in danger of losing his Monaco role.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are left without a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, and will have to wait until the January window to find a replacement. Of course, unless they sign a free agent, like Renato Sanches.
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Alan Shearer tells Chelsea they will have to spend £100m
The 2026 summer window was the tale of the £100m midfielder. Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Enzo Fernandez all swapped Premier League clubs for nine figures; incredible money for the players involved.
That trend is unlikely to stop, with Tonali, Fernandez and Anderson expected to be used as benchmarks moving forward. Chelsea’s interest in Camara is likely to remain, but priority will be given to signing Scott.
AFC Bournemouth v St Pauli: Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Discussing the Bournemouth star on The Rest Is Football podcast, Alan Shearer believes it will take a nine-figure sum to get Scott out of Bournemouth – with Micah Richards praising the England midfielder.
Richards began: “Alex Scott, do you remember what I said last year? How good of a player he is? “He’s so good, isn’t he? How composed is he on the ball?” Shearer replied: “Brilliant, he was superb.”
Richards continued: “He’s just, he goes forward at the right time. He’s got that Cruyff turn in the bag. He slows it down. He speeds it up when he wants to. He’s going to be in the England squad very, very soon.”
Then, Shearer declared that Chelsea target Scott will be worth north of £100m in the coming windows: “He’ll be one, if it’s not in January, he’ll be a one next summer. Yeah. That’ll go for probably three figures.”
Why Alex Scott is worth every penny, even if he might be cheaper
While his quality would suggest that of a £100m player, especially because he is young, English and proven in the Premier League, Scott may go on the cheap because his contract expires in June 2028.
Adam Wharton and Alex Scott of England
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
If Bournemouth want to get a good fee for Scott, January might be their last chance to secure a big sale. But even at £100m, Scott is worth every penny – even if he struggles to consistently score or create.
Scott’s numbers show he is an all-action, high-motor engine room player who covers immense ground, wins his tackles, and resists the press. Last season, he averaged two tackles per match – totalling 60.
Another 36 interceptions on top of that, Scott might be technically gifted and give off the persona that is normally suited to an attacking midfielder – but it is his defensive work that will attract Chelsea.