Chelsea set to lodge another bid for Alex Scott | OneFootball

Chelsea are set to lodge a second improved bid for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Blues are in the market for midfield reinforcement and are trying to bring the Englishman to Stamford Bridge after a terrific season in which he caught the eye.

Even before Chelsea allowed Andrey Santos to leave, they already needed another midfielder. His departure made the gaping hole even more obvious.

Besides Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea are seriously lacking quality in the centre of the park.

Romeo Lavia cannot be relied upon considering his injury history, and Dario Essugo has also struggled for consistency, leaving the Blues needing reinforcement.

Scott would be a terrific pick-up for the West Londoners. Former Chelsea boss and current England manager Thomas Tuchel loves his ‘intensity’.

The 22-year-old is an excellent box-to-box operator who can do everything in the engine room. He can tackle, pick a pass, and make lung-bursting runs.

Scott will eventually get better at crashing the box and dominating games, but he is already playing at an impressive level.

Xabi Alonso’s side will have to bid higher than the £64 million offer they lodged days ago. There are reports that he is open to a Stamford Bridge switch.

Chelsea must still keep Enzo Fernandez

If Chelsea do succeed in signing Scott, it should not be viewed as a reason to cash in on Fernandez.

The Argentina international remains one of the finest midfielders in world football and offers a level of creativity, control and big-game quality that Scott has not yet reached.

Scott has the talent to develop into a top-class player, but he should arrive as Fernandez’s understudy rather than his replacement.

Learning alongside a World Cup winner could accelerate his development, while Chelsea would benefit from having depth in midfield instead of weakening their starting XI.

Fernandez wants to leave, but no club is coming forward with an offer and the Blues should convince him to stay with a worthwhile new deal.