Bournemouth to make SECOND record-breaking Alex Scott offer as Liverpool, Chelsea watch on

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has sanctioned another club record contract offer for Alex Scott despite the midfielder already rejecting the chance to become the highest-paid player in the club’s history, TEAMtalk understands.

We revealed earlier this month that Scott had turned down Bournemouth’s latest proposal, which would have represented the biggest contract in the Cherries’ history.

However, Foley is determined to keep hold of one of Bournemouth’s most coveted young players and has encouraged the club’s hierarchy to make another approach following his visit to England over the past week.

Scott’s future remains a major talking point at the Vitality Stadium, with the 23-year-old believed to feel that the time is right to take the next step in his career.

The midfielder is currently sidelined with a thigh injury that is expected to keep him out until the next international break in November. He remains under contract until 2028, but Bournemouth are aware that growing interest from some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs could make it increasingly difficult to retain him.

Chelsea launched a bid for Scott during the summer transfer window and are planning to return with another offer before January, while former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is hugely keen for Liverpool to bring him to Anfield.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have also held conversations regarding the England international, although Bournemouth have consistently maintained that they do not want to sell one of their prized assets.

Sources have now admitted, however, that Scott could be allowed to leave in January if a sufficiently substantial offer arrives. We understand that any potential deal would need to value the midfielder at at least £100million to persuade Bournemouth to consider a sale.

Foley has made clear that Bournemouth have not given up hope of convincing the midfielder to commit his future to the club.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the American businessman said: “We’d love to have Alex stay here and sign a new contract and be part of this team for the long haul. We haven’t given up, but sometimes players get stars in their eyes and they think that Chelsea or Manchester City is the right place to go.

“We have to respect the fact that a lot of our players are younger, and they’ve come to Bournemouth with the expectation that they’ll get time to play and perhaps move on to a bigger team.”

Those comments reflect the challenge facing Bournemouth as they attempt to balance their ambition to retain their best players with the reality that emerging talents can attract opportunities to join the Premier League’s elite.

Foley’s decision to sanction another approach suggests the Cherries are prepared to make a further effort to persuade Scott that his future remains on the south coast, even after their record proposal failed to convince him.

The situation is also being closely monitored by head coach Marco Rose, who is understood to have asked the club’s hierarchy not to sell any of his star players during the January transfer window.

Scott is not the only Bournemouth player attracting significant attention, with Marcus Tavernier, Rayan and Adrien Truffert also understood to be drawing strong interest from elsewhere.

Rose is keen to maintain the strength of his squad as Bournemouth look to build on their progress, and the prospect of losing several key players midway through the campaign would represent a major setback but they the prospect of Scott leaving is looking more and more realistic.