Bournemouth Owner Bill Foley Vows to Keep Alex Scott Amid Chelsea Interest

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has stated that the club is actively working to persuade midfielder Alex Scott to sign a new contract, in an effort to fend off interest from Chelsea. Foley indicated that while players may sometimes be attracted to larger clubs like Chelsea, Bournemouth aims to become a destination where talent chooses to stay.

Chelsea reportedly made multiple offers for the 23-year-old Scott during the summer transfer window, with their highest bid reaching £68 million. Bournemouth maintained that Scott was not for sale and now values him at over £100 million ahead of the January transfer window.

"I don't want to sell anyone at any time anywhere," Foley told talkSPORT. "At this point, we're convinced we're the right place for Alex to be, for Alex to stay. We'll keep on addressing contract issues with Alex as we move through this year. We'd love to have Alex stay here and sign a new contract and be a part of this team for the long haul and we're still working on it. We haven't given up."

Foley acknowledged that players can sometimes be enticed by clubs like Chelsea, stating, "sometimes, players get stars in their eyes and they think Chelsea is the right place to go, or Man City." He referenced the departure of Antoine Semenyo as an example of a player who, despite moving on, demonstrated character by staying to play and score in his final games for Bournemouth.

Scott's current contract with Bournemouth extends until 2028. He is currently sidelined with a quad injury sustained during the recent international break. While Chelsea sources claim no recent bids have been made for Scott, their interest is expected to persist, potentially leading to a January move. Bournemouth anticipates an offer around £90 million might be necessary to secure his transfer this winter, despite their higher valuation.

Foley also expressed optimism about Bournemouth's trajectory, suggesting the club is nearing a point where it can retain its key players. "We're close," he said. "We have to respect the fact that a lot of our players are younger, they've come to Bournemouth on the expectation that they'll get time to play and perhaps move on to a bigger team and we recognise that. We're happy with where we are, and we believe we'll start making progress in terms of retaining key talent."

Foley believes that while retaining all talent might not happen immediately, the club is close to establishing itself as a place where players want to remain rather than seek immediate transfers to larger clubs.