Arsenal have already had an opening enquiry for Alex Scott turned away. Bournemouth are insisting the midfielder is not for sale, and they are trying to sort fresh terms while he still has two years left on his current deal.

Bournemouth's hard line

BBC Sport reported that Arsenal asked about Scott's availability and were told the answer was no. That is the clearest part of the story. Bournemouth do not want to enter a sale conversation, and the move now is to tie him down to a new contract that would include a release clause.

The club have reasons to be firm. Bournemouth finished 6th in the Premier League and picked up 57 points, which gives them less reason to treat one of their more promising midfielders as disposable. They are not behaving like a side clearing out; they are behaving like one trying to protect its best assets.

Why Scott's stock is rising

The interest is not happening in a vacuum. Scott played 37 Premier League games under Andoni Iraola last season, and Goal reported 39 appearances and four goals. The appearance totals are not identical across the reports, but both point the same way: he was heavily involved and ended the campaign with proper senior weight on his shoulders.

His recent league numbers also help explain why clubs are circling. Scott's last five league appearances averaged a 7.56 rating, and he completed five straight 90-minute league games. That is the profile of a midfielder Bournemouth can lean on, not one they should expect to replace cheaply.

The price talk reflects that. There has been talk of a £60m valuation in one report and £80m in another, which is a wide gap, but both figures sit far above the sort of number that suggests Bournemouth are under pressure to sell quickly. Scott's senior England recognition, including his inclusion in Thomas Tuchel's pre-World Cup training camp in Florida, has only added to the sense that his ceiling is still being priced.

Bournemouth want to keep him, Arsenal have already tested the water, and the next stage is likely to be whether those contract talks produce a new deal with a release clause rather than a summer exit.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →