Scott Turns Down Bournemouth Deal Amid Arsenal Interest

A clutch of Premier Leagues sides have been put on hot alert after Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott turned down a new contract with the south coast club.

The 22-year-old has impressed for the Cherries since signing for £25 million from Bristol City in the summer of 2023 and is closing in on a century of Premier League appearances.

His form last season drew the attention of England manager Thomas Tuchel, who selected Scott for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, but he is still waiting to earn his first senior cap.

Interest in Scott has intensified in recent months, with Arsenal having an approach rejected out of hand by Bournemouth at the end of June. Other clubs credited with an interest in the midfielder include Chelsea, Spurs and both Manchester clubs.

But Chelsea and Spurs now look like unlikely destinations for Scott, with both clubs already spending heavily on other targets.

Chelsea have already spent around £50 million to secure the services of Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra, while big money moves are in the pipeline for Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix and Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers.

Spurs, meanwhile, have already spent £200m on midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, so a move for Scott now looks unlikely.

That leaves Arsenal firmly in the driving seat for Scott, who is reluctant to tie himself down to a new Bournemouth deal that could see him priced out of a move to a Champions League side.

Sources have indicated a willingness from Bournemouth to include a release clause in any fresh agreement, but are keen not to lose any more key players, following Marco Senesi’s free transfer to Tottenham.

That said, Bournemouth have been effective in securing lucrative deals for star performers in recent seasons, raising close to £300 million in the past two seasons alone.