Arsenal have been given a firm no by Bournemouth after making an enquiry about midfielder Alex Scott. The south coast club were not hanging around when it came to their response either, shutting down any interest quickly and making it very clear that Scott is not available this summer at any price.
It is actually a pretty bold statement from Bournemouth when you think about it. Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in the country and when they come knocking, a lot of teams at least open the door for a chat. The fact that Bournemouth did not even entertain the conversation tells you everything about how highly they rate the 21-year-old and how important he is to their plans going forward.
Scott has been genuinely impressive since breaking into the Bournemouth side and it is easy to see why Arsenal are sniffing around. He is technically tidy, he works hard and he has that kind of composure on the ball that you just cannot coach into a player. Arsenal have been building something exciting under Mikel Arteta for a while now and they clearly see Scott as the type of profile that fits their system perfectly.
The question now is whether Arsenal come back with a formal bid to test Bournemouth's resolve. Clubs say players are not for sale all the time and then suddenly find their valuation met by a chunky offer. It happens every single window. Bournemouth will know that and Arsenal will know that too, so do not be surprised if this one rumbles on a bit longer before the window closes.
For Bournemouth though, this is a real show of ambition. They are not a selling club anymore and they want people to know it. Keeping hold of your best young talent while a top four side circles is the kind of thing that actually builds a club's reputation in the long run. Good on them for standing firm, at least for now.
Let me know your thoughts.