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Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has revealed that Chelsea target Alex Scott is reluctant to sign a new contract due to interest from other clubs.

The midfielder is being heavily linked with a transfer to Stamford Bridge in January, with his current deal set to run down to 18 months. Asked about Scott’s future, Foley insisted the Cherries have not “given up” on persuading the player to stay, but he admits it could be difficult to keep him:

“At this point, we’re convinced we’re the right place for Alex to be and to stay, and we’ll keep on addressing the 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 part of this team for the long haul. We haven’t given up, but sometimes players get stars in their eyes, and they think that Chelsea or Manchester City is the right place to go.”

Scott is keen on joining Chelsea

From the sound of things, Foley will struggle to convince the England international that remaining at Bournemouth is the right move for him

For that reason, he will have to reluctantly consider selling Scott in January to prevent his value from depreciating any further.

The player is said to have already spoken to manager Xabi Alonso and several players about joining the Blues, with the club having made their first attempt to buy him last summer, and he is clearly interested in making the switch.

Will Chelsea face competition for the player?

His former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is reportedly hoping to take Scott to Liverpool, but the Reds are unlikely to match the player’s asking price.

An offer in the region of £100m may be required to sign the 23-year-old in January, and Chelsea are the only ones seemingly willing to stump up the money.