Manchester United are reassessing their midfield plans after losing out to Tottenham for priority signing Mateus Fernandes, with Tyler Adams reportedly of interest.
United entered the summer expecting that area of the squad to become the priority following Casemiro's departure as a free agent, and made Fernandes their key target.
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Spurs swooped in, financially outmuscling the second-most valuable club in the world, to leave United assessing alternative options.
The Mail report that Bournemouth's Alex Scott remains a player admired by decision-makers at Old Trafford. United have tracked the 22-year-old, who is a Spurs fan, for some time.
Scott is expected to attract significant competition if he becomes available. Arsenal are also known to appreciate the midfielder, while Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham have all monitored his development.
Bournemouth's stance, however, has not changed. The club do not want to sell and are instead looking to improve the terms of a contract that runs until 2028.
Earlier in the window, Scott was said to be valued at around £60million. That figure is now likely to be higher, with Bournemouth encouraged by the fees secured elsewhere in the market, including those involving Elliot Anderson - joining Man City for £116m - and Fernandes.
Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is another player who has featured on United's shortlist. Whether a deal is realistic remains unclear. Much could depend on his role under Jose Mourinho following the Portuguese coach's return to the Bernabeu, while the overall cost of any transfer would represent a significant challenge.
United continue to monitor a wider group of midfielders.
Adams, Scott's Bournemouth team-mate, and Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha are among the players under consideration.
But Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have not featured prominently in United's discussions so far this summer.
