Bournemouth have softened their stance on selling midfielder Alex Scott, with Chelsea and Liverpool both on alert ahead of the January transfer window. The club is now open to letting the 23-year-old leave, but only if certain conditions are met.
Conditions for a January exit
As reported by Standard Sport, one condition is understood to be an offer in excess of £100m. Bournemouth sources also say a sale will only happen in January if Premier League survival is looking likely.
Chelsea showed strong interest in Scott during the summer transfer window but saw a £64m offer rejected, with Bournemouth insisting the midfielder was not for sale. That stance has now changed, putting both Chelsea and Liverpool on alert as they seek to bolster their midfield options.
Injury update
Scott is currently out of action with a thigh injury sustained during the international break on his first senior start for England, in their 7-0 victory over Croatia. Initial fears suggested he could be sidelined for up to eight weeks, but manager Marco Rose has revealed the midfielder is on course to return well ahead of schedule.
“We did an MRI and the pictures looked really well,” Rose told reporters ahead of Bournemouth’s Premier League clash against Sunderland. “His progression, his healing, is in a good way. Better than we expected.
“It means not that he is ready for Sunderland or next week but we can progress his rehab training, we can bring him back on the pitch to see how he responds.
“We are not talking about six to eight weeks anymore. We are quite confident that we get him back maybe a little bit earlier.”
“It depends how he responds on the load he gets. We still have to take care, there is still an injury. But it looks much, much better.”
