Bournemouth have rejected a £64m bid from Chelsea for midfielder Alex Scott, making clear to the Blues that any further approaches would not be welcomed. The Cherries intend to keep one of their star players, but the situation is complicated: the 22-year-old has turned down a new contract that has been on the table for at least two months.
Scott, who joined Bournemouth from Bristol City for £25m in 2023, has two years left on his current deal. The south coast club are under no pressure to sell after qualifying for the Europa League and generating significant income through last summer's sales of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Dango Outtara.
“Bournemouth reject £64m Chelsea bid for Alex Scott as Arsenal and Man Utd circle.”
Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham and Manchester City had earlier expressed interest in Scott. BBC Sport reported in June that Arsenal had an approach turned down. Now, according to reports, bitter rivals Manchester United and Arsenal are locked in a battle to sign the England Under-21 international in a deal worth £40m. Scott's representatives have held talks with both clubs, and he is said to favour a move to the Emirates but is worried about how much game time he would get for Mikel Arteta's English champions.
United have already strengthened midfield with the signings of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, and manager Michael Carrick is keen to add a third, but United are not prepared to get into a bidding war with Arsenal. Scott is a target of up to eight clubs this summer, including Newcastle, Tottenham and Everton.
Scott was instrumental in helping Bournemouth secure European football last season and was named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad, though he is yet to make a senior appearance. He will make a decision on his future in the next fortnight.