Chelsea 'at front of queue' for £80m star Arsenal are tracking

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Arsenal are keeping tabs on Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, but the Gunners have been told Chelsea currently sit at the front of the queue for the England international.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have moved to the 'front of the queue' for Scott's signature after seeing a £60million bid rejected by Bournemouth late in the summer window. Arsenal and Liverpool are both said to be monitoring his situation closely and would be expected to provide serious competition if the Blues step up their pursuit.

Bournemouth holding firm

The report claims Chelsea intend to revisit the midfield market in January and again next summer, having failed with a late move for Monaco's Lamine Camara. Bournemouth, for their part, have made clear that Scott is not for sale in the winter window — a stance that has not cooled Chelsea's interest.

Scott's contract on the south coast runs until June 2028, giving the Cherries considerable leverage. Reports during the summer suggested it would take a bid in excess of £80m to prise him away from the Vitality Stadium.

The 23-year-old joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023 and has since established himself as one of the most coveted central midfielders in the Premier League. He received his first senior England call-up last November and, after missing out on Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad, made his debut off the bench against the Czech Republic on Thursday night in the Nations League.

Tuchel: 'The complete package'

His first senior start followed on Saturday, and it could hardly have gone better. Scott played a central role in England's 7-0 demolition of Croatia, drawing glowing praise from his head coach afterwards.

"First start and what a start. What a performance," Tuchel told reporters. "He's just so smooth at the moment on the ball, decision-making is on the highest level, he plays with so much confidence. He's so active, so confident and the work-rate off the ball, he's the complete package at the moment."

Tuchel added: "He gave us today a lot of mobility, a lot of variety and a lot of work-rate in the centre of the pitch, together with Elliot Anderson."

Roy Keane was similarly taken, noting how comfortable Scott looked against Luka Modric. "He looked really comfortable out there in his first start, he looked like he was an experienced midfielder out there," Keane said. "To come up against players like Modric, if he ends up having half the career of Modric then he'll be doing really well. He kept it simple, which is always a test for a player, didn't complicate it and every time he got it he was in control of the situation."

Performances like that rarely lower a price tag. With Bournemouth refusing to entertain offers in January and Chelsea already having had a £60m approach knocked back, any Arsenal move would almost certainly have to wait until the summer — and would need to clear a valuation north of £80m.

Scott's situation is one to watch over the coming months as the race for one of England's brightest midfield talents takes shape.