All summer Bournemouth told every suitor in the Premier League that Alex Scott was not for sale. That line has softened. According to BBC Sport, the club will now sanction a January sale of the England midfielder, but only if somebody turns up with about £100m.
The 23-year-old has wanted out since he turned down two contract offers at the end of last season. Bournemouth held firm through the recent international break, yet a last round of talks with his representatives left senior sources saying the Cherries are ready to deal on the right terms.
The price tag and the small print
The fee is only one condition. The second is where Bournemouth sit in the table when the window opens. If they are drifting towards the bottom of the league, the club may decide Scott is more useful on the pitch than in the bank, because relegation would cost far more than any transfer fee could recover.
That is a real possibility. New manager Marco Rose has yet to win a league game, and the 5-1 defeat by Chelsea is the low point of his reign so far. Optimists point out that Andoni Iraola went through a longer winless run when he first arrived, and there is some excitement around the Europa League campaign, which began with a win over Real Sociedad and continues at home to Sturm Graz on Thursday.
Who is still in the race
Every member of the so-called big six is believed to have made contact over the summer, in one way or another. All of them were told not to make an offer or approach the player. Chelsea tested the water anyway with an opening £60m bid that rose to £64m with add-ons, and it was rejected.
Chelsea and Liverpool are believed to retain an interest. Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham have moved on to other targets. Liverpool may be the better placed of the two, since Iraola, now their manager, still keeps close relationships with his former club, both with Scott and with people in Bournemouth's leadership. Chelsea, for their part, have been encouraged in the past by Scott's representatives to push for a deal.
Why £100m is not as wild as it sounds
On paper, £100m for a midfielder with seven goals and seven assists in 95 appearances looks steep. The market tells a different story. Three players have already cost more than £100m in his position, and a TransferRoom report published on Tuesday says spending on defensive midfielders rose 191% to 1.38bn euros, with the average fee up 156% to 9.9m euros, the highest of any position.
Scott arrived from Bristol City in 2023 for £25m and remains on that contract, which runs to 2028. His season has also been interrupted. He is out for at least a month with a thigh injury picked up in England's 7-0 Nations League win over Croatia, after going into camp with tightness that got worse. Bournemouth are frustrated by that, particularly with Eli Junior Kroupi still missing after a serious pre-season injury and not expected back until November.
The club began the season insisting none of Scott, Rayan or Kroupi would be sold before the summer of 2027. They have since concluded, reluctantly, that Scott can go if the valuation is met. Whether anyone meets it is the question for January.
Transfer context: Alex Scott, 23, England midfielder, AFC Bournemouth. Contract to 2028 (signed from Bristol City for £25m in 2023). Reported valuation about £100m. Out for at least a month with a thigh injury. Source: BBC Sport.
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