Bournemouth have made Bristol City’s 19-year-old Alex Scott their ‘top target in midfield’ and are set to make an improved bid for the England U20 international, says transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Bournemouth to make improved offer for Scott
Bournemouth are preparing new bid for Alex Scott. He’s top target in midfield as club will try to win competition. 🔴🍒
New proposal will be submitted soon after £15m bid rejected in the last 24h. Bournemout aware of competition from several UK clubs. pic.twitter.com/ErzKfzYLxV
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 14, 2023
Cherries have initial bid rejected
Scott has long been admired by Bournemouth’s recruitment department, and after an impressive season in the Championship last year, Bournemouth are now leading the race for the England U20 international.
Romano has said the Cherries ‘are preparing a new bid’ after their opening offer of £15 million was turned down, with the young midfielder being at the top of the club’s list for a new midfielder.
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The Championship club are believed to be holding out for a fee closer to their £25 million valuation of the midfielder with several Premier League teams showing an interest.
Reports prior to Bournemouth’s initial bid suggested the South Coast side were at the front of the queue for Scott’s signature, having edged ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Wolves. The price tag put on the Guernsey-born player seems to have put both West Ham and Wolves off, with both clubs reluctant to meet the valuation.
However, Andoni Iraola’s side are aware of the competition for Scott’s signature and are looking to act quickly by submitting a new offer ‘soon’ according to Romano.
The Cherries’ previous highest transfer fee was £25 million for Jefferson Lerma in 2018 from Levante, and they will have to get much closer to that sum if they want to land their main target.
What will Scott bring to Bournemouth?
Despite being just 19, the Englishman has been impressive in the Championship over the past two seasons, making 94 appearances in all competitions for the Robins since his debut for the club in 2021. He reportedly earns just £4k a week while playing in the second division despite this quality.
He is a technically proficient player who is able to dribble and retain the ball in tight situations, which allows him to perform in several different midfield roles. Playing as a box-to-box midfielder or as an advanced playmaker Scott has the ability to fashion out chances for his teammates and keep hold of the ball when the team needs an outlet.
The 19-year-old also contributed five assists in the Championship last term and has a keen eye for a pass – often adopting to use through balls – which could serve well for the likes of Dominic Solanke up front.
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Bournemouth struggled to score goals last season with just 37 in the Premier League and creativity was often a problem throughout the course of the campaign.
The addition of Dango Outtara and Hamed Traore in January looked to begin solving that problem, and with Justin Kluivert being added earlier in this window, the addition of Scott would add another dimension from the centre of midfield.
The Bristol City man’s young age also means there is plenty of room for improving, playing regular Premier League football will only help to nurture those abilities and develop him to a top player.
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