Man United are now accelerating plans to secure the services of a Tottenham fan and transfer target after missing out on Mateus Fernandes.
Tottenham Hotspur have moved with impressive speed in this summer transfer window when it comes to getting deals done.
This has seen them secure their top targets despite fierce competition from their big six rivals. Spurs beat Manchester United to Mateus Fernandes and repeated the trick against Manchester City in the race for Sandro Tonali.
With United still searching for a midfielder, it now appears they have turned their attention to a boyhood Tottenham fan who has long been on their radar.
Man United eye Alex Scott after missing out to Tottenham
According to Football Insider, after missing out on Mateus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson, Man United have now turned their focus to Alex Scott of Bournemouth.
Alex Scott is a Tottenham fan and has been linked with a move to north London for some time, but with the signings of Tonali and Fernandes, such a move now looks highly unlikely.
United, however, need a replacement for Casemiro, and the 22-year-old, who won Bournemouth’s Supporters’ Player of the Year award for 2025-26 after scoring four goals and providing one assist in 39 appearances, is said to have moved up their shortlist.
Speaking about United’s interest, Pete O’Rourke explained: “Obviously they have missed out on the likes of Mateus Fernandes… Elliot Anderson was probably always going to go to Manchester City. United dropped out of that race early on when they learned of his price tag.
“There is no doubt they are big admirers of Alex Scott. They have been doing their homework on him. They have been carrying out background checks and everything else after he had a great season for Bournemouth last year. He was probably unlucky to miss out on the final England World Cup squad as well.”
Bournemouth are said to want £80m for Scott this summer. Tottenham have fallen behind Man United and Arsenal in the race for the boyhood Spurs fan, but the Lilywhites are at least still being linked.
Spurs can be pleased with midfield business, with or without Scott
It remains to be seen if Scott will agree to a move to United, but Tottenham have every reason to be satisfied with their midfield additions so far this summer.
A look at the underlying numbers of Tonali, Fernandes and Scott shows just what each player is about.
| Percentiles | Duel% | Poss won | Prog carries | Fwd passes | Fwd pass% | Key passes | Prog passes | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Scott 25/26 Bournemouth, 22 | 66.9 | 78.2 | 71.0 | 34.5 | 18.8 | 35.2 | 29.2 | 3143 |
| S. Tonali 25/26 Newcastle United, 26 | 74.5 | 46.8 | 68.1 | 73.1 | 37.3 | 48.4 | 67.6 | 2821 |
| Mateus Fernandes 25/26 West Ham United, 21 | 82.4 | 83.5 | 58.3 | 60.4 | 74.5 | 55.5 | 64.6 | 3302 |
Tonali thrives in progressive passing and forward distribution, while Fernandes stands out in duels and possession won.
Scott, meanwhile, shows strength in ball recovery and progressive carries but lags behind in forward passing efficiency.
For Tottenham, the additions of Tonali and Fernandes provide balance and quality in midfield, while United’s pursuit of Scott highlights their need for a younger, versatile option to rebuild after Casemiro.