Manchester United push ahead with Alex Scott bid despite Bournemouth insisting midfielder is not for sale

Manchester United are pressing on with their pursuit of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott despite the south-coast club insisting he is not for sale, with reports from The Sun indicating the Red Devils remain undeterred in their interest in the 22-year-old.

Scott has attracted attention from across the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester City also said to have expressed interest. Bournemouth have made clear they want to keep him and have tabled a new contract, but Scott has yet to sign it — and reports suggest he has gone as far as rejecting their offer, a development that has encouraged United to keep pushing.

With two years remaining on his current deal, Bournemouth face a familiar dilemma: hold firm and risk losing a valuable asset for a reduced fee or nothing at all, or cash in now. Some reports indicate that a bid in the region of £80m could be sufficient to persuade the club to sell, though United are also weighing whether better value exists elsewhere in the market.

The need for midfield reinforcement at Old Trafford has grown more acute after two targets chose alternative destinations. Elliot Anderson opted to join rivals Manchester City, while Mateus Fernandes signed for Tottenham Hotspur. United are believed to have agreed a deal in principle for Atalanta’s Brazil international, though complications surrounding his medical are reportedly delaying the announcement, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano.

Manager Michael Carrick is understood to want a deeper squad heading into next season, particularly given the added demands of European competition. Those concerns have been compounded by the news that Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte ruptured his ACL during his country’s World Cup campaign, leaving a significant gap in United’s options.

Beyond Scott, United are also considering Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni as potential alternatives. Scott, however, is understood to remain their primary target — though the combination of Bournemouth’s resistance, rival interest, and uncertainty over his own future makes this one of the more complex deals of the summer window.