Arsenal have joined Chelsea and Liverpool in the pursuit of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, according to iNews.
The Gunners were interested in the England international last summer and approached the Cherries. However, the South Coast outfit were quite clear that he was not for sale at any price.
Chelsea and Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in the 23-year-old, and iNews claim that the Gunners could now compete with the Premier League duo. Exploratory talks have been held.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side would prefer to wait until the summer to negotiate a potential deal for the talented midfielder, but their hand could be forced if a bidding battle develops.
Chelsea and Liverpool, on the other hand, are the keenest to make a move in January.
Bournemouth prefer to keep Scott until the summer, but with just over 18 months left on his contract, they could accept an offer in excess of £100 million for a mid-season transfer.
With Bristol City owed 20 percent of the sell-on fee, the Cherries have no intention to negotiate for the reported £80m fee, which has been mentioned as an asking price previously.
Arsenal more likely to pursue Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth
The Gunners wanted to sign Scott before acquiring Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United last summer. We believe the club are unlikely to enter the transfer market for another central midfielder.
Martin Zubimendi has been linked with a possible mid-season departure.
Even if the Spaniard leaves this winter, the club have sufficient depth and quality with Guimaraes, Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Merino Merino in the heart of the midfield.
Hence, we simply don’t see them making a huge outlay of £100m or more on Scott. Instead, the package could be utilised to tempt the Cherries to part ways with Junior Kroupi.
The Frenchman had a brilliant debut season last term with 13 league goals. It was the most by a teenager in his debut Premier League campaign. Kroupi was superb between January and May in particular.
Kroupi is primarily a centre-forward but can also operate as a number 10. He also has a slight left-wing bias when playing deep and could be transformed into a left winger thanks to his pace and quick transitions in the final third.
The 20-year-old had a shot-to-goal conversion rate of 25 percent in the league last term, missing just three big scoring chances. We won’t be surprised if Arsenal make a formal bid for him in January.
Bournemouth view Kroupi as a potentially £100m striker. The forward has just returned from a metatarsal fracture, and his performances could be assessed before Arsenal contemplate a winter approach.
Arsenal could hold out for £60m to part ways with Zubimendi this winter. With a financial boost, the hierarchy could make a big-money move for Kroupi over Scott, as he is their top attacking target.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com