Fresh contact made: Chelsea still pursuing £80m transfer, Arsenal now surely out of the race

Chelsea have reportedly made fresh contact this month over a potential transfer move for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott.

This chimes well with what we recently reported on Chelsea still pursuing a deal for Scott, while Arsenal should now be out of the running.

The Gunners were interested in Scott earlier in the summer and even enquired about him, though they were also keen on Bruno Guimaraes at the same time, and ended up signing him as their midfield priority.

This could boost Chelsea as they continue to chase the 22-year-old, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Blues have had fresh contact as they look for replacements for Enzo Fernandez.

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The report suggests, however, that Scott could cost as much as £80m, with Bournemouth not keen to let him go, while Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton could also be an option for CFC in that position.

Who can replace Enzo Fernandez if he leaves Chelsea?

It remains to be seen if Fernandez will definitely be leaving Chelsea this summer, but we’ll know soon enough, if reports are to be believed.

The Athletic have been among the reliable outlets to state that the west London giants want this saga resolved one way or another by 5pm tomorrow (Friday).

Manchester City are mentioned as suitors for the Argentina international, who has had a mixed spell at Stamford Bridge, but who would surely be pretty hard to replace.

Still, his departure would likely give Chelsea plenty of money to work with, so that could help fund a move for Scott, who, although expensive, doesn’t look unaffordable for a club like Chelsea.

The young Englishman perhaps seems ideal for Xabi Alonso’s side right now, but Wharton is another superb young talent who could fit in well.

Some Chelsea fans might be concerned, however, about the risk of selling a key player like Fernandez to a major Premier League rival just as he could be about to hit his peak years.