Chelsea lead race to sign Bournemouth and England midfielder Alex Scott

Chelsea are leading the race to sign Bournemouth and England midfielder Alex Scott, with the Premier League club preparing to strengthen Xabi Alonso’s midfield options in January and next summer.

Scott, 23, joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023 and has since developed into one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League. His progress has been closely monitored by leading English clubs over the past three years.

The midfielder received his first England senior call-up in November last year, but was reportedly unfortunate to miss out on a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.

He made his senior international debut in Tuesday’s Nations League match against Czech Republic, replacing Elliot Anderson in the 70th minute at Fortuna Arena in Prague.

Scott’s future has been the subject of sustained speculation throughout the summer, when several of England’s leading clubs were reported to be tracking his development.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have moved to the “front of the queue” for his signature after Bournemouth rejected a £60m offer towards the end of the transfer window.

Chelsea are expected to make an active attempt to improve Alonso’s midfield choices after failing with a late move for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara last month.

The Metro also reported that Bournemouth’s decision to keep Scott during the summer had not reduced Chelsea’s interest. Arsenal and Liverpool are understood to be monitoring the situation closely and could provide strong competition if Chelsea intensify their pursuit.

Scott’s current contract with Bournemouth runs until June 2028. Reports during the summer suggested that a bid exceeding £80m would probably be required to persuade the Cherries to sell him from Vitality Stadium.

Tuchel praises Scott’s all-round qualities

Scott produced an outstanding performance for England against Croatia on Saturday. Following England’s emphatic 7-0 victory, Tuchel described the Bournemouth midfielder as “the complete player”.

“First start, and what a start. What a performance!” the German manager told reporters.

“He is currently extremely skilled on the ball, his decision-making is at the highest level and he is playing with great confidence.

“He is very dynamic, very confident and works extremely hard without the ball. He is a complete player at the moment.”