AFC Bournemouth have secured the services of Bristol City’s 19-year-old midfielder Alex Scott, in a deal worth a potential £25 million, according to Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam.
Bournemouth Confirm Signing of “Exciting” Alex Scott
Scott Joins Bournemouth for £25 million
Bournemouth have been chasing a deal for Scott throughout this transfer window. After a long wait, the Cherries have finally landed their man.
McAdam reports that the Dorset club have agreed to pay a fixed fee of £20 million to the Robins, although the total package could rise to £25 million due to the inclusion of performance related add-ons in the deal.
The Sky Sports journalist goes on to say that the Cherries view Scott as an “exciting player” and were willing to push the deal through regardless of the young midfielder’s injury.
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Scott joins the Cherries following an impressive season under Nigel Pearson at Bristol City last season, where he featured 49 times in all competitions.
Bournemouth’s chief executive, Neill Blake has described Scott as “one of the best young players in Europe” and believes the midfielder is an “excellent fit” for Andoni Iraola’s system .
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Following the departures of Jefferson Lerma and Ben Pearson, Iraola’s side have become light on defensive options in the middle of the park. As things stand, Lewis Cook is the only senior player on the club’s books with experience in that role.
The Spanish manager has publicly stated that he believes the club need to recruit more than one midfielder to plug the gaps in their squad.
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23-year-old Gavin Kilkenny will be looking to push his way into the first team after returning from a loan spell with Stoke last season but it is uncertain whether he can perform to the standard required in the Premier League.
Philip Billing, Joe Rothwell, and now Scott make up the rest of the central midfielders available to the Dorset club, but they are all suited to attacking roles higher up the pitch.
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Gaetano Castrovilli was on the verge of joining the club last week before the deal was scuppered because the Italian failed his medical. In response, the club have acted swiftly to secure the services of Scott, who becomes the club’s fifth signing of the window.
Photo Credit: Andy Jones, licensed under Last Word on Sports