United have had “direct contact” with high-flying PL side for their talisman, INEOS have received a devastating reply – BBC

Manchester United have already missed out on three of their top midfield targets with INEOS scrambling to secure a top signing for head coach Michael Carrick. A deal for Ederson has already been agreed, with Casemiro reportedly recommending his compatriot’s name, but the Brazilian is not exactly a defensive midfielder. That is why United’s co-owners were desperate to secure the signing of either Elliot Anderson or Sandro Tonali. Unfortunately, the Red Devils were priced out of moves for both. What really set the club back was their inability to close the deal for Mateus Fernandes, with Tottenham Hotspur hijacking the move. Why United are now chasing Alex Scott As a result, the 20-time English league champions have now gone knocking on Bournemouth’s door for Alex Scott. There were reports that the Cherries were open to the Englishman’s sale, even though they had upped their demands in the wake of Anderson and Tonali’s record-breaking moves. Naturally, United were among the sides to initiate contact with the team from the South Coast, but the BBC have some bad news on that front. “Bournemouth have had direct contact from multiple big clubs thought to be Arsenal, Manchester United and Man City. Bournemouth respond to United “They have said Scott is not for sale under any circumstances this summer. As reported in April, the Cherries had offered Scott a new contract. It was the second such offer with another offer coming into him in March. Also in here is news about Alex Scott: Bournemouth have had direct contact from multiple big clubs thought to be Arsenal, Manchester United and Man City. They have said Scott is not for sale under any circumstances this summer. As reported in April, the Cherries had offered… https://t.co/mxV5jvGxV9 — Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) July 4, 2026 “The idea is Scott will stay even if he doesn’t end up signing a deal with his current one ending in 2028.” With the 22-year-old’s current deal ending in 2028, Bournemouth have been desperate to tie him down to a new long-term deal and were even open to including a release clause in that agreement. INEOS might need to look beyond the Premier League Now it seems they have closed even that route, and United might have to pivot to other targets if they want to sign Casemiro’s successor this window. Tyler Adams, a teammate of Alex Scott at the Vitality Stadium, is also on United’s radar, while outside the Premier League, the likes of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga continue to be linked with a switch. Feature image Ryan Pierse via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25