Arsenal have revived their interest in Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, with the south-coast club seeking a £100million fee for the England international, according to the i Paper. Football.London reports that the Gunners have now entered the contest with Chelsea and Liverpool for the 23-year-old; they had been interested in him last summer, when Bournemouth indicated that he would not be sold.

Bournemouth's stance

That’s position has since shifted, football.london reports, with Bournemouth now willing to listen to offers after Scott turned down a contract proposal. With under 18 months left on his deal, the club are said to recognise that only two more windows remain in which to secure maximum value — a situation football.london compares with Crystal Palace and Marc Guehi in January. According to Arsenal Insider, which cites Ben Jacobs, Bournemouth would require approximately £100million before they would even think about a mid-season sale.

Questions over midfield

The enquiry raises questions about Arsenal's midfield. Martin Zubimendi has been linked with an exit, though he has spoken strongly about his focus on getting back into Mikel Arteta's first team, and football.london reported on Tuesday that he remains highly valued within the club. Mikel Merino has also been linked with a move away, with under 18 months remaining on his contract.

Football.London observes that Scott is more attack-minded than Zubimendi and would duplicate the roles of Merino and possibly Eberechi Eze, whose preference is a central attacking midfield position even though he has mainly featured from the left.

Jacobs on the Zubimendi link

Jacobs told GiveMeSport there remains a "concrete chance" Zubimendi leaves mid-season, and suggested Arsenal's need could grow if that happens. "Were Zubimendi to go, Arsenal would have a lot more need and a lot more urgency, and they're one of the clubs that really like Alex Scott as well," he said.

Jacobs added that he does not believe Chelsea are among the clubs chasing Zubimendi: "I know some are saying Chelsea as well, but that's not my understanding." He considers Chelsea the favourites for Scott, with talks already ongoing.

Affordability in question

Football.London questions whether a deal is realistic given Arsenal's desire to invest in their forward line, with Eli Junior Kroupi and Antonio Nusa among the targets commanding large fees. Scott featured from the start in Bournemouth's opening five Premier League matches this season and scored once before sustaining a quad injury; at the weekend, he returned to the bench for the Ipswich game. Arsenal face Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday 13 December.

Photo: Martin Addison via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, resized.