Chelsea could complete a deal for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott before the January transfer window, the Daily Mail reports. A fee of around £90m is mooted, below the more than £100m the Cherries are reportedly seeking, while questions remain over the player’s recent two-month injury absence. According to Footballtoday.com.
Chelsea eye £90m Scott deal despite Bournemouth’s £100m-plus ambitions
Rivals believe Chelsea are ahead of everyone else in the race for Alex Scott, and the Daily Mail reports the West London side could agree a deal of around £90m with Bournemouth. That figure sits below the more than £100m the Cherries are reportedly seeking, so the valuation remains the key obstacle.
Scott has been a target for Chelsea throughout the summer and they have not given up, with the England international seen as a way to bolster Xabi Alonso’s midfield. The club already have Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson, Moises Caicedo, Valentin Barco and Reece James in the ranks, yet remain insistent on a January signing.
Scott’s appeal is rooted in last season, when his work rate and craft in the middle of the park drew notice in the Premier League and helped his side qualify for the Europa League. A strong start to this campaign followed before an injury kept him out for two months, though Chelsea remain undeterred.
The injury is where the argument against the move gathers. Scott may still be recovering from that two-month absence, and even if fit he is likely to need time to reach full speed. The case put forward is that £90m on a player with a worrying injury history is hard to square with a need for smarter spending.
An alternative is AS Monaco’s Lamine Camara, who would cost less, has a healthier fitness record and is described as the better player. Granit Xhaka could be added next summer if Sunderland go down, while Chelsea’s defence, among the leakiest in the Premier League, may also demand heavy spending.
