Alex Scott has turned down a new contract at Bournemouth, and the Premier League's biggest clubs have taken notice. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United are all reported to be monitoring the 22-year-old midfielder, whose performances last season announced him as one of the division's most complete box-to-box players.

Ever-present against the elite

The clearest sign of Scott's quality came in Bournemouth's standout results of the 2025/26 campaign. Across the seven games in which the south-coast club took points from Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea, Scott was almost never absent — playing 625 of a possible 630 minutes.

Manager Andoni Iraola considered him among his most trusted players, and by the end of the season described Scott as a "very complete" midfielder. Pep Guardiola had reached a similar conclusion earlier, calling him an "unbelievable player" as far back as 2023.

From Guernsey to the Premier League

Scott's journey to the top flight is a remarkable one. Bristol City recruited him from non-league Guernsey, with then director of youth recruitment Brian Tinnion overseeing the transfer. When Nigel Pearson handed Scott his Championship debut, he remembered the youngster arriving as a "scrawny-looking youngster" with "incredible" talent — and quickly predicted he would one day represent England.

Jack Grealish and Guardiola were both impressed when Scott, aged 19, played against Manchester City in an FA Cup tie while at Bristol City. Grealish posted on social media afterwards: "Top, top talent." The 'Guernsey Grealish' nickname had found its audience.

Scott handled the Championship with authority, making 35 starts in 2021/22 and 40 in 2022/23, before a £25m move to Bournemouth demanded a further step up physically. Injuries hampered his first two seasons at the Vitality Stadium, but the growth in his physical profile over the past three years has been substantial.

Duel-winner and ball-carrier

Last season, Scott finally became a Bournemouth regular, missing only one game across the entire campaign. His ground duel success rate rose from 47 percent in his debut Premier League season to 56 percent — placing him above Elliot Anderson, Bruno Guimaraes, and Martin Zubimendi. His aerial success rate followed the same upward curve, climbing from 44 percent to 54 percent.

"He has really filled out and matured as a player," Pearson told Sky Sports. Only Anderson and Wolves' Andre won possession more frequently among midfielders last season, and Scott ranked in the top 10 for both interceptions and duels won.

His ball-carrying numbers reinforce that profile. Scott recorded 431 carries — the eighth-highest total among Premier League midfielders — with roughly half classified as progressive by Opta. He also made the sixth-most supporting runs of any player in the division and the third-most high-speed runs, covering 27.6km at high speed across the season.

A goal in April against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium captured his dynamism perfectly: having read the play and identified the run, Scott drove through the centre of the pitch to collect Evanilson's flick from David Brooks's pass before finishing past David Raya. Iraola praised his awareness and movement after the game.

Room to grow

Versatility adds further to Scott's appeal. Iraola deployed him as a six, an eight, and a 10 during the season, and he was even used as a wing-back at Bristol City. His 89 Premier League appearances over three seasons demonstrate readiness at the highest level — but at 22, there remains room to develop further.

The most obvious area for improvement is his output in front of goal. Scott has contributed only four goals and three assists across those 89 appearances. Former Bristol City assistant Jason Euell put the challenge plainly to Sky Sports: "For him to be an eight or a 10, and for people to talk about him as an eight or a 10, he needed better numbers. He wasn't getting enough assists and he wasn't scoring enough goals."

Scott has not been idle on the international stage either. He is a European Championship winner with England's U19s and U21s, claimed titles in 2022 and 2025, and received an invitation from Thomas Tuchel to join England's pre-World Cup training camp in June. A first senior cap may not be far away.

Whether his next club is Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, or another yet to emerge publicly, the evidence from last season suggests Scott is ready to compete at the very top of the game.