Reports suggest Bournemouth have resisted big summer advances from Chelsea to retain Alex Scott beyond the January transfer window. The Blues have had several high-profile approaches fail, with other reports claiming a £60-64m bid was rejected.
Scott has a contract at the Vitality Stadium until 2028 and is believed to have turned down opportunities to extend his stay. Bournemouth are said to have asked for £80m in the summer, but they reportedly rate the midfielder at €110m (£94.6m).
Enzo Fernandez’s late-summer-window move to Manchester City left a big hole in central midfield and Chelsea’s pursuit has grown hotter. The Blues think Scott will be a good fit for Xabi Alonso’s system while Bournemouth, who lost head coach Andoni Iraola and defender Marcos Senesi before their first-ever Europa League campaign, are not keen to add to that instability.
Reports prior to this had been varied, with some suggesting Chelsea would meet Bournemouth’s demands and do a deal in January. The Cherries are now thought to have said a hard no, having signed Scott from Bristol City in August 2023 for around £25m, with his stock multiplying.
However, Chelsea are still believed to be unmoved. Serious negotiations are now expected to be postponed to the summer of 2027. Another report claims a new contract for Scott at Bournemouth could include a release clause, but he has so far rejected offers to sign a new deal.
A quick resolution seems unlikely, and Chelsea may be doing early groundwork to ensure they are top dogs come the summer of 2027. Manchester City reportedly opened talks over Scott in the last window, and it promises to be a fierce scramble.
Chelsea vs Bournemouth
When the Premier League returns after the extended international break, on October 10, Scott’s club travel to West London. Chelsea were beaten 3-0 by Brentford in their last game before the break, increasing the pressure on Alonso’s defence. The manager, appointed on July 9, is looking for more solidity as he continues to stamp his own tactics on the side.
The Blues arranged a behind-closed-doors friendly with Portsmouth to maintain match fitness, and they lost 2-0 at Cobham on Saturday. It is not known who participated, but the game was supposed to give minutes to the players who remained.
Reece James, Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro are among those cleared to play after injury layoffs, while Cole Palmer pulled out of the England squad. Chelsea have a busy schedule of five games in October, and so reinforcements in midfield will be a constant theme.