“Stars in their eyes”: Chelsea, Man City receive Scott transfer update
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Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has delivered a fresh update on the future of in-demand midfielder Alex Scott ahead of the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old has established himself as one of the brightest midfield talents in the Premier League since joining the Cherries from Bristol City for around £25m in August 2023.
Scott has made a total of 95 appearances for Bournemouth across all competitions and was a key cog in the Cherries side that finished sixth in the Premier League last season, securing Europa League qualification.
The Guernsey-born star received his first two senior England caps during the September/October international break, but he has since been sidelined with a hamstring injury, missing Bournemouth’s last seven games.
At a time when Scott is focused on his recovery, speculation over his long-term future at the Vitality Stadium continues to grow ahead of the winter window.
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Chelsea a leading contender to sign in-demand Scott
The Evening Standard claims that Chelsea saw a £64m bid for Scott rejected by Marco Rose's Bournemouth in the summer, while approaches from other English clubs were knocked back.
Xabi Alonso’s side – who failed to replace Enzo Fernandez in the summer – are said to maintain a firm interest in Scott, while Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have also been linked with the midfielder.
Scott is under contract at the Vitality Stadium until June 2028 and he is understood to have turned down the club’s opening offers of an extension, promoting speculation over a January exit.
The Cherries are reportedly open to selling Scott midway through the season should an offer worth around £100m arrive.
While Bournemouth chief Foley has acknowledged that the lure of joining a bigger club is there for Scott, he has insisted that the Cherries “haven’t given up” trying to convince him to sign a new deal.
Foley is also hopeful that Bournemouth offering their key players six-figure wages will become “commonplace”.
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Scott could extend Bournemouth stay - “but sometimes players get stars in their eyes”
Speaking on talkSPORT about Scott’s future, Foley said: “At this point, we're convinced we're the right place for Alex to be and to stay, and we'll keep on addressing the contract issues with Alex as we move through this year.
“We'd love to have Alex stay here and sign a new contract and be part of this team for the long haul.
“We haven't given up, but sometimes players get stars in their eyes, and they think that Chelsea or Manchester City is the right place to go.
“We believe, if we keep on buying infrastructure and a common thread of leadership across the team then we will start keeping more and more players.
“People will be surprised about that, and they'll be able to earn substantial wages here.”
The 81-year-old added: “We have to respect the fact that a lot of our players are younger, and they've come to Bournemouth with the expectation that they'll get time to play and perhaps move on to a bigger team.
“We recognise that my job is to make players feel comfortable and provide them with the infrastructure they need to understand that.”
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are said to have **identified two potential replacements for Scott**should he ultimately decide to seek pastures new.