Fernandes singles out Bournemouth's Alex Scott as the £100m midfielder United never signed

Manchester United recruited Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba for a combined £155m this summer, yet their captain Bruno Fernandes has made clear there is one midfielder he wishes had also arrived at Old Trafford: Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.

Fernandes, speaking after collecting his PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, was asked which player he could see winning the honour in future. His answer was unambiguous. “There is one player that I really like and that is Alex Scott from Bournemouth,” the Portugal international said. “I think what he did last season was great. I think he’s someone that could easily be up for that.”

The 23-year-old has attracted serious interest from across the Premier League. Chelsea made a late push to sign Scott during the summer window, submitting a £64m bid that Bournemouth rejected, before going on to make him their first-choice target to replace Enzo Fernandez. United, Arsenal and Liverpool also monitored the England prospect, who was considered unfortunate to miss out on a World Cup squad place.

Bournemouth held firm throughout, refusing to sanction a sale despite the mounting pressure. The Cherries originally signed Scott from Bristol City for £25m three years ago, and he is now regarded as a £100m-calibre player — a potential return of four times their initial outlay.

Scott’s contractual situation adds an extra layer of intrigue. He has declined to sign a new deal and is now entering the final two years of his current contract, a development that has sharpened the interest of clubs hoping to negotiate a move before his value peaks or his options widen further.

For United, the summer’s midfield overhaul may not be the end of the story. With Fernandes publicly endorsing Scott and the player’s future at Bournemouth far from settled, the England midfielder is likely to remain firmly on the radar at Old Trafford when the January window opens.