Bournemouth owner Bill Foley insists they have not given up on contract negotiations with star midfielder Alex Scott despite reported transfer interest from top clubs, including Chelsea.

The Cherries are understood to have turned down multiple bids from Chelsea worth up to £64 million for Scott in the summer. Bournemouth get to start their season while keeping their ace, but the midfielder's contract situation may force the club to shift their stance.

The 23-year-old has entered the final two years of his contract at Vitality Stadium, with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2028, and he is said to have turned down extension offers from Bournemouth.

Despite earlier reports claiming Bournemouth could be open to selling Scott at a lucrative price in January, club owner Foley made it clear that they have not given up on tying Scott to a new deal even if it means offering a top salary.

“I think earning that kind of number (six-figure salaries) should be commonplace, and we should be prepared to meet that challenge,” Foley told talkSPORT when asked about Scott’s contract situation.

“At this point, we're convinced we're the right place for Alex to be and to stay, and we'll keep on addressing the contract issues with Alex as we move through this year.

“We'd love to have Alex stay here and sign a new contract and be part of this team for the long haul. 

“We haven't given up, but sometimes players get stars in their eyes, and they think that Chelsea or Manchester City is the right place to go.

“We believe, if we keep on buying infrastructure and a common thread of leadership across the team, then we will start keeping more and more players.

“People will be surprised about that, and they'll be able to earn substantial wages here.”

Obviously, money is not always the only variable. Sometimes players just want to join a top side to fulfil their ambition to compete for silverware.

Foley is aware of this, but he still thinks Bournemouth can give players the platform to do so sooner or later.

“We have to respect the fact that a lot of our players are younger, and they've come to Bournemouth with the expectation that they'll get time to play and perhaps move on to a bigger team,” the American billionaire admitted.

“We recognise that my job is to make players feel comfortable and provide them with the infrastructure they need to understand that.

“We're happy with where we are, and we believe we'll start making progress in terms of retaining key talent.

“It may not be this year; it may not be next year in terms of everyone, but we're close.”

From Chelsea’s perspective, this likely changes very little. The Blues have been aware of Bournemouth’s plans to keep Scott, as well as the player’s contract situation.

Chelsea could only table an improved bid in January or next summer and hope the England international would continue to refuse to sign an extension with Bournemouth.

That said, while Scott is said to be at the top of Chelsea’s midfield shortlist, he is clearly not the only one. Chelsea tried to sign AS Roma’s Manu Kone and AS Monaco’s Lamine Camara late in the summer window, although neither materialised. However, it shows that Chelsea have other midfield targets.

Moises Caicedo’s return from injury and Jordan Henderson’s strong start at Chelsea have also provided some stability to Xabi Alonso’s midfield. 

With Romeo Lavia, Valentin Barco, Reece James, and academy options Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli as alternative options, the Blues should have enough depth in midfield even if they were to wait until next summer before making a move in the market.

However, Scott might be a player Chelsea would not want to miss if he becomes available. They certainly would not want to allow Premier League rivals such as Liverpool and Manchester United, who are also understood to be interested in Scott, to sign the midfielder uncontested.