Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott has turned down a new contract offer, casting serious doubt over his long-term future at the south coast club.
The Cherries made securing Scott on fresh terms a primary objective heading into the summer, but no agreement has been reached between the two parties.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea have all registered an interest in the 22-year-old England Under-21 international.
BBC Sport reported in June that Arsenal had an approach for Scott turned down by Bournemouth, underlining the level of top-flight interest in the player.
Scott joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023 for £25m and currently has two years remaining on his existing deal at the club.
Despite his rejection of their contract offer, which had been on the table for at least two months, Bournemouth remain firm that Scott will not be sold.
The club has communicated that position publicly, directly to Scott himself, and to every interested party that has made contact regarding his availability.
An £80m valuation has been discussed, yet Bournemouth have continued to rebuff all approaches and show no signs of softening their stance.
The club are under little financial pressure to sell, having qualified for the Europa League and raised significant funds through the sales of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Dango Outtara last summer.
Bournemouth have adopted a similarly protective stance over highly rated forward Junior Kroupi, who is attracting interest from Arsenal and Tottenham.
Brazil international Rayan is also not expected to depart, having only joined the club in January and giving no indication that he wishes to leave.
Scott and Kroupi are currently with the squad for new manager Marco Rose’s pre-season training camp in Austria, with Rayan set to return at a later date after representing Brazil at the World Cup.
Scott earned his first senior England call-up last November and was included in Thomas Tuchel’s extended pre-World Cup training camp in Florida, though he has not yet made a senior international appearance.
The wider Premier League midfielder market has been extraordinarily active this summer, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers set to complete moves to Manchester City and Chelsea for £116m and £117m respectively.
Tottenham have also spent heavily, committing £100m on Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and £85m on West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.
Scott began his career at Guernsey FC before joining Bristol City in 2020, going on to make 91 appearances for the Championship club in all competitions.
He was named the Championship’s young player of the season in 2022-23, which prompted Bournemouth to bring him to the Premier League for £25m.
Since arriving on the south coast, Scott has made 89 appearances and scored six goals, playing a key role in Bournemouth finishing sixth in 2025-26 under Andoni Iraola.
That sixth-place finish saw the club qualify for European football for the very first time in their history, a landmark achievement that demonstrates their growing ambition.
Bournemouth’s strong financial position and European status may prove their most persuasive arguments for convincing Scott to commit his future to the club.
