Chelsea have made Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott their “top target” ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports.

The Sun claim that “senior figures are now focused” on getting the deal over the line early in the New Year.

Monaco’s Lamine Camara came very close to signing for the Blues on Deadline Day at the start of September.

However, the deal collapsed after Monaco pulled out of the deal, and The Sun report that the subsequent fallout with the Ligue One club means it is “unlikely” that any move for the Senegalese international will be revived.

Scott won’t be available on the cheap

Bournemouth are still trying to tie down the midfielder to a new contract, and the Cherries remain reluctant sellers.

Chelsea made several bids for Scott in the summer, but Xabi Alonso’s side may have to go as high as £100m if they want to secure the player’s services midway through the season.

In all likelihood, Scott would be available for a much lower fee at the end of the campaign, as he will reach the final year of his contract at the Vitality Stadium. However, after losing Enzo Fernandez, there is a determination to land the Argentinian’s replacement sooner rather than later, having missed out on Camara.

Will Chelsea sign anyone else in January?

It is believed that the Blues are scouting a considerable number of players, including strikers such as Club Brugge’s Nicolo Tresoldi and Monza’s Gustavo Varela.

There are also several homegrown stars on the London club’s radar, including Everton’s Harrison Armstrong, Newcastle’s Lewis Miley, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Fulham’s Josh King. However, there are no guarantees that moves will be made for any of these targets in January. Scott appears to be the only one who is a concrete option at the moment.