"Will now start formal talks..." - Major new update on £80m Arsenal & Chelsea transfer target Alex Scott | OneFootball

Arsenal and Chelsea have been mentioned as interested clubs as Ben Jacobs has provided an update on Alex Scott’s Bournemouth future.

The talented 22-year-old has impressed a great deal with the Cherries and it seems he’s soon set to enter into formal talks with the club over a new contract.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jacobs explained that Bournemouth remain confident of keeping Scott and will ask for as much as £80m for him this summer, though that asking price could in theory go down if they manage to agree a new deal with a release clause.

See below for details as Jacobs says Arsenal and Chelsea are keeping an eye on developments, while Tottenham could also get involved, depending on what happens with Sandro Tonali…

Bournemouth’s plan for Alex Scott

“Alex Scott has just returned from training with England and will now start formal talks with Bournemouth over a potential new deal,” Jacobs said.

“At the end of the season, Bournemouth were very optimistic that Scott would stay. And for their part, that stance hasn’t changed. And some of the confidence that Scott might stay is down to the fact that Thiago Pinto is prepared to put at least one release clause into the contract of Alex Scott to keep him for that extra season.

It may be like Antoine Semenyo, with a release clause offered in January and then it depreciates by about 5 million in the summer. And in that scenario, I’m told it would be 75 or so down to 70. But it may be that Bournemouth are more inclined to say to Scott, no mid-season release clause, stay until the end of the summer and then you can leave at market value.

“As of now, we’ve heard some suggestions that Bournemouth would sell at 60 million. My understanding is that the number is 80 million and no decision on a potential sale or engagement will be made before Bournemouth sit down with Alex Scott, and this is also why at the moment when Arsenal came calling Bournemouth said wait and that the player is not for sale.”

Does Alex Scott represent good value in this market?

This is not an easy market after the huge money we’ve seen Elliot Anderson move for, while the Telegraph are also reporting that Aston Villa could ask for as much as £130m for Morgan Rogers.

It’s perhaps hard to imagine Arsenal being able to pay that kind of money, which might mean Scott for around £80m, or a little less if they wait, could actually be the best-value option out there.

This also arguably seems like a lot for a relatively inexperienced player, but Scott has impressed in the Premier League and looks like he has all the qualities to fit in at a top club, whilst he’s also young enough that he can improve even further in the next few years.

That will surely also appeal to Chelsea, who have invested a lot in top young talents for the future, with Scott someone who can both strengthen them straight away and provide them with a talent whose value should only keep going up and up.