Bournemouth have shifted their position on Alex Scott, with the club now willing to sanction a January departure for the 23-year-old midfielder should an offer exceeding £100 million arrive and their top-flight status appear safe. Chelsea and Liverpool are the two clubs most prominently in the frame.
Scott has turned down repeated attempts by Bournemouth to tie him to a new deal. The most recent proposal would have made him the club's highest-earning player in their history at £150,000 a week, but he declined it. He remains on the same contract he agreed when he moved to the south coast from Bristol City for £25 million in 2023, a deal that runs until June 2028. His sale would trigger a sell-on fee for Bristol City.
Chelsea have been the most persistent suitors. During the summer they submitted several bids, the highest of which was worth £64 million, all of which Bournemouth turned down. Their interest intensified after they lost Enzo Fernandez, who moved to Manchester City for £125 million, and was further fuelled when a deadline-day pursuit of Monaco's Lamine Camara collapsed after the French club withdrew from a written agreement via email, just minutes before the window closed. Chelsea are monitoring the January market closely and Scott is particularly well regarded at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool's interest is also substantial, with the club having explored Scott's availability seriously during the summer. Andoni Iraola, who left Bournemouth to take charge at Anfield, knows Scott well from their time together, and Scott has previously spoken warmly of the manager's influence. "I feel like I have had his trust," Scott said of Iraola this summer. Liverpool's midfield remains an area they intend to strengthen, with no new contract currently in place for Alexis Mac Allister and no midfield additions since 2023.
Should Liverpool miss out on Scott, their recruitment team — led by recently reappointed sporting director Julian Ward — have identified Lamine Camara and Roma's Manu Koné as alternatives, with the club running checks on both players.
Scott is currently sidelined for just over a month after aggravating a thigh injury he had been carrying into the recent international break. Bournemouth were unhappy that he was selected to start England's 7-0 victory over Croatia in the Nations League. During his absence, fresh talks over a contract extension have taken place but produced no agreement.
Bournemouth's readiness to sell is conditional. The club will only move in January if they are confident of retaining their Premier League status — a significant caveat given they are yet to win a league game under head coach Marco Rose and sit 18th in the table. Rose addressed speculation about Scott's future directly this week, insisting the player remained committed to the club and dismissing the talk as rumour. "He's a player of our club and now he's injured, we are looking forward to having him back in a couple of days and weeks and we'll continue with Alex Scott," Rose said. "And he's quite committed, everyone can see it from the first games [of the season]."
Former Reds striker Stan Collymore has urged Liverpool to look elsewhere, arguing through reported comments to Betarades.gr that Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton would be a better fit for their midfield needs than Scott, whom he regards as less effective in a defensive capacity than Wharton or Declan Rice.
Scott is aware of the level of attention his situation has attracted, and with Bournemouth equally conscious that his market value will diminish the closer he gets to the final stretch of his contract, January is shaping up as a decisive moment for all parties.
Reporting: Evening Standard, Daily Mail, CaughtOffside, TeamTalk, Sky Sports, Metro.