Alex Scott staying at Bournemouth as sporting director draws Chelsea line

Bournemouth have no intention of selling Alex Scott during the current transfer window, with sporting director Tiago Pinto telling Chelsea and any other interested clubs that the midfielder is not available.

Pinto said the club had completed its transfer business and delivered a definitive verdict on Scott’s future as the summer deadline approaches next Tuesday.

“We are completely done with the transfer market. Nobody will leave and we will not bring anyone new in. It is over for us,” Pinto said, according to The Sun.

The statement will come as a setback to Chelsea, who have identified the 23-year-old as a possible alternative to Enzo Fernandez. Scott is understood to have been valued at about £80m in any potential deal.

Bournemouth’s new manager Marco Rose is keen for Scott to remain at the club, and Pinto said his stance was fully supported by both Rose and Bournemouth owner Bill Foley.

Pinto was speaking in Monaco, where he had travelled to attend the UEFA Europa League draw. While rival sporting directors continued working on late transfer deals, he said Bournemouth were able to enjoy a more relaxed final phase of the window because their plans had been settled early.

“Over the past 24 hours, I have felt like the most relaxed sporting director in Monaco,” he said. “While all my colleagues have been busy making phone calls and moving around to complete deals, it was very important for me to get our work done early in the window.”

Bournemouth are preparing for a season that includes European football, and Pinto said the demands of competing on multiple fronts meant the squad needed to remain united.

“Everyone here understands that this season requires us to stick together because we are competing in European competitions, and next summer we will be here again,” he added.

Pinto also explained that Foley’s approach to squad management had helped shape the club’s decision not to sell any of its established players.

“The worst thing you can say to Bill Foley is that we are going to sell players,” Pinto said. “He does not like selling the team’s stars and he really wants to keep them forever.”

The sporting director added that Foley had been particularly pleased with Bournemouth’s position this summer, repeatedly checking that no players were set to leave.

“This summer he is very happy because every time he calls me, he asks: ‘Are you sure we are not going to sell anyone?’ So he is extremely happy to keep all the players in the squad,” Pinto said.

With the transfer deadline now approaching, Pinto’s comments suggest Bournemouth will resist any late approach for Scott and retain the midfielder as part of Rose’s plans for the new campaign.