Manchester United are stepping up their interest in AFC Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott as the summer transfer window approaches, with talks already held to test the viability and financial demands of a deal. A secret transfer meeting was said to have taken place with Bournemouth officials last week, underlining how seriously United are treating a move for the 22-year-old.
United’s interest has sharpened because they want more midfield depth and are looking for at least two new players in the middle of the pitch, or three if Manuel Ugarte is sold. Scott fits the profile they want: an all-action No. 8 who can rotate with Kobbie Mainoo, while Michael Carrick is understood to have been wowed by his breakout season. The England international is also being tracked by Chelsea and Liverpool, which adds another layer to a market that is already tightening around him.
Scott’s rise has been fast. He won a call-up to the England squad in November and has become an integral part of Andoni Iraola’s side at Bournemouth, where his performances have helped the club reach Europe for the first time in their 127-year history. Bournemouth still have a route to the Champions League if results elsewhere go their way, and that success only strengthens their hand as interest builds in one of their most valuable players.
The timing matters for United because Casemiro is expected to depart, and INEOS did not trigger the one-year extension in his contract. That leaves a clear need for reinforcements, and Scott is one of several names under consideration, alongside Elliot Anderson and Aurélien Tchouaméni. Laurie Whitwell reported that United “liked” what they saw in Scott and view him as “a good long-term investment that could be a mainstay in United’s midfield for the next decade.”
Bournemouth are unlikely to let the 22-year-old go cheaply. A price tag in the region of £50 million has been suggested, a figure that reflects both his progress and the pressure on the club to protect a player who has become central to everything Iraola’s side do. With United moving early, and rival interest already in place, Scott’s summer could become one of the first major tests of how far Bournemouth are willing to push back after their best season in decades.
