Manchester United’s chances of landing Alex Scott this summer have increased, with the latter snubbing Bournemouth’s offer.
The Red Devils have already acquired two new central midfielders this summer in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
The duo will join Kobbie Mainoo in the middle of the park, but United still need to recruit one more player after parting ways with Casemiro and losing Manuel Ugarte to injury.
Alex Scott turns down Bournemouth contract extension
This summer, midfielders have become a hot commodity in the Premier League. Following Elliot Anderson’s £116 million move to Man City, and Spurs’ £185 million double acquisition of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, the prices have suddenly soared.
Therefore, sources suggested that Scott wouldn’t leave the Vitality Stadium for anything less than £80 million.
However, the 22-year-old’s contract will expire in June 2028, so his value could dramatically drop next year, hence why Bournemouth are keen to lock him down with a long-term deal.
But according to Sky Sports, Scott and his entourage have rejected the offer, leaving the club in a tough spot.
The source claims that Bournemouth aren’t planning to cash in on the England international this summer, whether he signs a new deal or not. Nevertheless, his stance could mount pressure on the management, especially with Man Utd, Arsenal, and Chelsea all vying for his services.
Is Scott the right profile to round off Man Utd’s midfield?
As the source tells it, the metrics show that Scott is one of the most efficient Premier League midfielders in the defensive phase, but he’s also attackingly potent, boasting ‘superb dribbling ability and timing’.
These attributes mark the Guernsey native as one of the most complete box-to-box midfielders in the English top flight, and this is exactly the profile Man Utd are seeking, having already signed a deep-lying playmaker in Tielemans and a midfield enforcer in Santos.
Percentiles Duel% Poss won Prog carries Fwd passes Fwd pass% Key passes Prog passes Minutes
66.9 78.2 71.0 34.5 18.8 35.2 29.2 3143
Andrey Santos 98.6 77.5 18.8 87.7 98.8 5.5 63.2 1422
41.0 41.5 60.7 67.8 92.4 53.0 19.7 1901
Y. Tielemans 80.8 56.3 41.2 85.4 45.4 76.4 81.3 2033
(Stats by DataMB)
However, INEOS have opted against overpaying for their targets this summer, so Scott’s arrival ultimately depends on the costs of the operation.
The player’s refusal to sign a new contract could drive his price down, but this factor could be countered by the stiff competition for the player’s services, with Arsenal and Chelsea also in the fray.
Reports also indicate that United have recently opened talks with Manu Kone, who is a more experienced and accomplished profile than Scott.
If Roma are willing to sell the Frenchman for £50 million or so, MUFC will likely view it as a bargain compared with Premier League valuations.
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been passionately following Man United for over 20 years. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Utd Report, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali has been a Featured Writer on other websites including Juve FC, and The Cult of Calcio, and Stretty News.
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