Arsenal are looking to reshape their midfield this summer as rivals Manchester City close in on one of the most expensive signings in Premier League history.
Elliot Anderson is set to join Manchester City from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £116 million, pending a medical in the USA before he signs terms.
The transfer has significant knock-on effects for the wider market, inflating valuations across the division and making Arsenal’s pursuit of midfield reinforcements considerably more expensive.
Aston Villa are now reportedly seeking as much as £130 million for Morgan Rogers, while Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali carries a £100 million price tag amid interest from both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal did hold an interest in Anderson at one stage but ultimately stepped back from the race, content to let the move to the Etihad Stadium unfold without formally entering the running.
Mikel Arteta still needs to add quality to his midfield, and the Gunners have identified several potential targets, with Bruno Guimaraes among the names most prominently discussed.
Arsenal have opened up a conversation via intermediaries about bringing the Newcastle midfielder to north London, but the message from St James’ Park has been firm that he is not for sale.
A similar wall has been encountered at Bournemouth, with BBC Sport reporting that the Cherries are currently not open to selling midfielder Alex Scott despite Arsenal opening initial talks.
Scott has two years remaining on his contract at the Vitality Stadium, and Bournemouth are actively trying to extend that deal rather than entertain offers this summer.
However, it has previously been suggested that an offer in the region of £80 million could be enough to move Bournemouth’s stance, making Scott a far more attainable target than Anderson.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has described the 22-year-old as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League,” a verdict backed up by his performances throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
Scott scored four goals last season, matching Anderson’s tally, and even found the net at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in April 2026, touching the ball 63 times across a full 90 minutes.
The Bournemouth midfielder registered 12.18 defensive contributions per 90 minutes last season, a figure that sits close to Anderson’s impressive return of 13.93 per 90 across the same period.
In terms of ball recoveries, Anderson led the way with 8.26 per 90, while Scott was not far behind on 6.14, demonstrating a similarly tenacious and energetic approach to the game.
Both players boast an average pass success rate of around 85 percent, and Scott ranked among the best 13 percent of Premier League midfielders for dribbles, with Anderson finishing in the best 4 percent.
Anderson may hold the edge overall, as the price tag suggests, but Scott is seen as a genuine Anderson-lite option, a dynamic midfielder with the potential to continue developing into an elite player.
The England youth international is already on the fringes of the senior setup, having been included in Thomas Tuchel’s pre-World Cup squad as recognition of his rapid progress.
Arsenal’s ability to land Scott this summer remains unclear given Bournemouth’s reluctance to sell, but at £80 million, the deal would represent far better value than the inflated fees currently circulating elsewhere.