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, and the club insisted he was not for sale during the recent international break. After a final round of talks with his representatives, senior sources say the Cherries are willing to sanction a sale if an offer of about £100m arrives in January. Bournemouth's position in the Premier League table will also be a factor. If they are struggling near the bottom, the club may decide they need Scott to help secure survival.
It is 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. Chelsea tested the water with an initial £60m bid, rising to £64m including add-ons, which was rejected. Chelsea and Liverpool are believed to retain an interest, while Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham have moved on to other targets. Liverpool would be in a strong position, with manager Andoni Iraola maintaining close relationships with his former club.
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 contract he signed when joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023 for a fee of £25m, which expires in 2028. The decision is bittersweet for Bournemouth, which had insisted that Scott, Rayan and Eli Junior Kroupi would not be sold before the summer of 2027.
The club can point to a market in which spending on midfielders has reached unprecedented levels, with three players commanding fees above £100m in the position. There is also frustration that Scott was injured while away with England. New manager Marco Rose is yet to win a league match, though the 5-1 defeat by Chelsea was the low point of his tenure so far. Bournemouth's Europa League campaign, which continues with a home game against Sturm Graz on Thursday, offers some encouragement.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing