Kembali
Chelsea would likely have beamed at the latest news about the future of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott.
The England international was a key target for the Blues this summer and was the subject of three offers from Xabi Alonso's side, including a huge £68million bid. The Cherries stood resolute in their desire to keep the 23-year-old, but are now open to selling their talisman in January if they receive an offer of £100m.
Scott pushed to leave the Vitality Stadium during the summer window and has turned down new contract offers to depart the club. The nine-figure fee Marco Rose's outfit are requesting would mark a record sale for the Premier League side, surpassing the £62.5m they received from selling Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City.
Chelsea remains interested in signing Scott but may have to raise funds to clinch the deal. And that may come more easily to the west London side compared to other clubs, given the sheer number of players they have on their books.
football.london looks at four players that could be prime options for Alonso to offer to the market to bankroll a deal for Scott.
Alejandro Garnacho lasted just a season at Stamford Bridge, with the ex-Manchester United star scoring eight goals in 43 games across all competitions. He was allowed to leave in the summer, which led Aston Villa to sign him on loan in a deal that will "become permanent next summer should certain criteria be met", according to his parent club.
football.london understands that the Argentine forward will ink a four-year contract with the Villans at the end of the season, subject to conditions in an obligation‑to‑buy clause worth £42.5m.
The 22-year-old has made just three league appearances for Unai Emery's side, and his likely departure will cover almost half of Scott's price tag. Garnacho's career has stalled since leaving Old Trafford, and he has been unable to reignite his once-promising potential in west London.
The 22-year-old joined Chelsea last summer for an initial fee of £48.5m, but endured a difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge. The English winger scored just one goal in 27 games across all competitions, which was 11 goals less than what he netted in his final season at Borussia Dortmund.
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He's played just 56 minutes of football this season and is currently out of action until late October after getting injured on international duty for England's Under-21 side. With Gittens having to battle the likes of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto and Estevao for a place in Alonso's side, opportunities may be lacking for him.
According to Transfermarkt, Gittens' value has dwindled to £22m after failing to make the desired impact at Chelsea.
The French defender was one of several players allowed to leave Chelsea earlier this summer after being deemed surplus to requirements. Badiashile, 25, joined Napoli on loan for the rest of the season, with the Serie A giants having the option to buy him permanently for £23m.
The centre-back made 71 appearances for the Blues over four seasons, but his form was inconsistent, and he never quite formed a fruitful partnership with the likes of Axel Disasi or Levi Colwill.
Robert Sanchez's departure to Como was sealed on deadline day after the Blues signed Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa. The Spanish goalkeeper joined the Italian side on a season-long loan and has started just one game for the club since, as he is currently back-up to Jean Butez.
According to Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old's current value is £13m, and his days at Stamford Bridge could be numbered because of Martinez and the faith placed in the 21-year-old Mike Penders.