Chelsea want early signing of top midfield target after being given unequivocal response

According to reports, Chelsea are ‘ready’ to strike a deal with AFC Bournemouth for midfielder Alex Scott now ahead of a move next summer.

Chelsea have arguably been left short of midfield options after a dramatic transfer deadline day.

With only hours of the transfer window remaining, the Blues finally opened the door to selling Enzo Fernandez to Man City, partly because they looked likely to sign AS Monaco star Lamine Camara as a replacement.

However, Monaco decided to pull the plug on the sale of Camara at the eleventh hour, leaving Chelsea no time to sign an alternative.

Despite this, the Blues still sanctioned Fernandez’s move to Man City, so they need to make do with the midfield options they have until January at least.

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It’s unclear whether they will re-enter the market for a new midfielder in January or next summer, but Scott has been mooted as an alternative.

Chelsea failed with a £60m move for Scott in the summer because Bournemouth were intent on keeping him and demanded around £80m for their prized asset.

But Scott is only under contract until 2028 and is currently refusing to sign an extension, so he will continue to be linked with an exit in the coming months.

Now, our colleagues at TEAMtalk are reporting that the Blues are ‘at the head of the queue’ for Scott, who is considered their ‘primary’ target.

Chelsea to push for ‘early’ agreement with Bournemouth for Alex Scott

The same report claims Bournemouth gave the ‘unequivocal response’ to Chelsea ‘that their midfielder was not available’ in the summer, and the Blues ‘do not believe’ that he will become available in January either.

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Despite this, Chelsea are now ‘ready’ push for an ‘agreement’ with Bournemouth within the next few weeks, with an ‘early’ deal to potentially set up a move next summer.

The report explains:

‘Indeed, Chelsea do not believe the Cherries are likely to sanction Scott’s departure during the winter window, particularly given the club’s stance throughout the summer. However, that will not stop Chelsea from exploring whether an agreement can be reached in advance. ‘We can reveal that Chelsea would consider trying to negotiate a deal with Bournemouth now that would allow them to effectively secure Scott before arranging for the midfielder to make the move to west London next summer.’

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