Chelsea are leading Arsenal in the race to sign Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, according to The Telegraph.
Scott was a top target for the Gunners during the summer transfer window, but the Cherries were quite clear that he was not for sale.
Unlike Arsenal, Chelsea made a formal bid of £64 million for the midfielder, but Bournemouth immediately snubbed the transfer proposal.
Despite this, there remains speculation regarding his future, and The Telegraph claim that the Blues have the upper hand in the pursuit.
The west London outfit are prepared to push hard for his signature as they seek a new midfielder in either January or when the season ends.
The club are keen to fill the void left by Enzo Fernandez’s summer exit, and have their sights on landing Scott ahead of the Gunners.
Bournemouth are reluctant to negotiate mid-season, but a summer deal could be on with Scott’s contract due to expire in June 2028.
Scott has snubbed the prospect of extending his stay at the South Coast outfit.
Arsenal may not return for Scott next year
The Gunners explored a deal for Scott during the last transfer window, but did not proceed with an approach once the enquiry was snubbed.
The club ended up pursuing a big-money deal for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes, who has already made a big mark with his sublime goal at Sunderland.
Scott is undoubtedly one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League, but we don’t expect the Gunners to revive their interest in his services next summer.
The club already have Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Guimaraes, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi vying for just two positions in the heart of the midfield.
Zubimendi’s future seems to be uncertain, but even if the Spaniard were to depart, Arsenal would still have plenty of depth in the central midfield department.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has said that the Cherries value Scott at £80 million, but that figure could be much less next summer when he enters the last year of his deal.
Still, we don’t see Arsenal pursuing a deal for the Englishman with the squad depth. Playing time from the starting XI could also be a top priority for Scott, which the Gunners may struggle to guarantee.
At Chelsea, he has the scope of becoming the regular partner for Moises Caicedo in the centre of the park, given that Romeo Lavia does not offer much going forward.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com