Bournemouth are open to selling England midfielder Alex Scott in January under certain conditions. The 23-year-old has been pushing to leave Vitality Stadium since rejecting two contract offers at the end of last season, but Bournemouth insisted he was not for sale throughout the recent international break. However, after a final round of talks with his representatives, senior sources say the Cherries are willing to sanction Scott's sale if an offer of about £100m arrives in January.
Another condition will be Bournemouth's position in the Premier League table. If they are struggling towards the bottom of the league then the club may decide they need Scott to help secure survival. It remains a significant shift in stance after a summer in which Bournemouth rejected interest from a host of clubs - with every member of the Premier League's so-called "big six" believed to have made contact to varying degrees.
All clubs were told not to make an offer or approach the player, although Chelsea tested the water with an initial £60m bid rising to £64m in add-ons which was rejected. Chelsea and Liverpool are believed to retain an interest, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham having moved on to other targets over the summer. Liverpool would be in a strong position, with manager Andoni Iraola maintaining close relationships with his former club, both with Scott himself and figures in Bournemouth's leadership.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have previously had encouragement from Scott's representatives to pursue a deal. Scott is currently out for at least a month with a thigh injury sustained during England's 7-0 win over Croatia in the Nations League. He remains on the same contract he signed when joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023 for a fee of £25m, which expires in 2028.
The decision to consider Scott's sale is a bitter-sweet one for Bournemouth. The club entered the season insisting none of their prized assets, including Scott, Rayan and Eli Junior Kroupi, would be sold before the summer of 2027. However, they have since reluctantly concluded they would be prepared to let Scott leave if their valuation is met.
Bournemouth can point to a market in which spending on midfielders has reached unprecedented levels across the Premier League. Three players have commanded fees of more than £100m in the position and the Cherries are seeking a similar amount for Scott. A TransferRoom report, released on Tuesday, shows spending on defensive midfielders rose by "191% to 1.38bn euros , while the average fee increased by 156% to 9.9m euros - the highest average fee of any position." There is also frustration within the club that Scott picked up an injury while away with England.
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