Chelsea Make Big Decision On Whether They Will Make 4th Bid For England Star In January
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Chelsea will be forced to pursue alternatives to Bournemouth’s Alex Scott if they want to bring in a midfielder during the January transfer window, according to reports.
Writing in his Chelsea Confidential column for the Daily Mail, reporter Kieran Gill claims that Scott will stand firm on the “not for sale stance” they had in the summer.
It is believed that Scott was the subject of no less than 3 bids from the Blues prior to the transfer deadline on September 1st.
As the England international will have less than 18 months left on his contract in January, there was an assumption that the Cherries would soften their resolve, but that apparently isn’t the case.
Why are Bournemouth standing firm on Scott?
The South Coast club want to see some stability on the pitch before approving any departures. Marco Rose’s appointment as replacement for Andoni Iraola has not quite gone to plan so far.
Three draws and two defeats in the first five games isn’t a particularly promising start, and selling Scott with the team in such a vulnerable position is not seen as smart business.
There is a very good chance that Scott will be on the market at the end of the season due to his contract situation, but Chelsea may not want to wait that long.
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Who could Chelsea sign instead?
The Daily Mail mentions two names – Roma’s Manu Kone and Monaco’s Lamine Camara – as potential targets. The Blues tried to sign the pair on Deadline Day last month, but both deals collapsed.
Kone has recently spoken out about the transfer, and while the Frenchman could be open to moving to Stamford Bridge in the New Year, his valuation could prove to be prohibitive.
Monaco’s decision to pull out after agreeing terms with Chelsea for Camara has left a sour taste in the mouth, and there are doubts over whether that move could be revived.