Despite ramping up their pursuit of Mateus Fernandes in recent weeks, Manchester United see Alex Scott as a more attainable alternative.
It comes after Tottenham Hotspur entered the race for the West Ham starlet this week, and made it clear they’d be willing to meet his £85 million price tag, unlike United.
Why United are turning their attention away from Fernandes
Personal terms are believed to be as good as done between the Red Devils and Fernandes, but West Ham want to secure the highest fee possible in the aftermath of their relegation, which makes Spurs favourites to win the chase.
Alas, INEOS deem Scott a like-for-like option, according to Peter Hall of the iPaper.
| Player | Appearances | Goal contributions | Minutes played |
| Scott | 80 | 6 | 4,621 |
| Fernandes | 72 | 13 | 5,948 |
Bournemouth value the 22-year-old in the region of £80m, though there is a belief from United’s perspective that the price could be negotiated to a lower sum.
Scott: The state of play
Scott made the switch to the Vitality Stadium from Bristol City in a £25m deal in 2023.
He rebuffed interest from some of the division’s ‘big six’ even back then in order to ensure he’d be playing a starting role wherever he went, and that decision undoubtedly paid off.
The Guernsey native established himself as an influential starter under manager Andoni Iraola, who left upon the expiry of his contract and has since taken over Liverpool, and played an imperative role in Bournemouth reaching new heights in recent years.
🏴😮💨 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗫 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗧 (𝟮𝟮) is one of the 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 players in the Premier League. pic.twitter.com/0T7MheIIgb
— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) April 17, 2026
Not only did they break their highest-ever Premier League points tally for three seasons in a row, but they also qualified for Europe for the first time in their history upon the culmination of 2025/2026 in the form of the Europa League.
It remains to be seen if Scott, whose step-sister Maya Le Tissier is captain of United Women, would consider a transfer this summer following Iraola’s departure.
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