Bournemouth have completed the signing of Alex Scott from Bristol City despite the midfielder currently suffering from a “significant” knee injury.
The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Bournemouth were set to win the race for the highly-rated 19-year-old after seeing off the challenge from a number of rival clubs for the teenager’s signature.
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He arrives on a long-term deal for a fee believed to be in the region of £20million.
The club revealed that Scott suffered a knee injury in a recent training session with his former club so will join up with his new team-mates once fit.
“During the medical, scans revealed the injury to be more significant than was initially reported,” a statement read.
“With the recovery process now outlined by our medical team, he will join up with the squad following a period of rehabilitation.”
Bournemouth chief executive, Neill Blake, said on Scott’s signing: “We are delighted to welcome Alex to the club, who is one of the most exciting young players in Europe.
“He’s a player that has vast experience at such a young age with strong technical ability and a really good footballing brain.
“Alex will be an excellent fit in our system, and we’re excited to see him continue to develop under Andoni’s management.”
Wolves were one of those interested in Scott but after protracted negotiations it is Bournemouth who have got a deal over the line with the player impressed by the club’s ambition.
He enjoyed an impressive campaign with Bristol City last term making 49 appearances in all competitions, including 42 in the Championship.
Scott is also a regular at England age group level and was part of the squad at the 2023 Under-20 World Cup, starting three of the side’s four games.
Bournemouth have enjoyed a busy summer with Hamed Junior Traore, Milos Kerkez, Romain Faivre and Justin Kluivert all arriving on the south coast.
They kick off their 2023-24 Premier League campaign against West Ham on Saturday.
Scott and Bournemouth: The perfect match
Analysis by Jacob Tanswell
Bournemouth’s admiration for Alex Scott has endured over several years, beginning as an eight-year-old when he joined local neighbours Southampton.
It is a common misconception that Bournemouth overlooked him when, in truth, they had tried to bring him in, but their academy held Category Three status at the time and did not have the same facilities or reputation as Southampton.Negotiations with Bristol City have been protracted and the has been situation is complex, but as of the weekend, there was confidence an agreement could be found eventually, with Bournemouth in the driving seat over Wolves.
Scott is a fan of the ambition shown by Bournemouth and his versatility to play as an 8 or 10 are main strengths which suit Iraola’s 4-3-3 shape.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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