Alex Scott: Bristol City boss expects midfielder to stay amid transfer speculation

Alex Scott initially signed with Bristol City's academy and has become a regular in their midfield in the past two seasons

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson "expects" midfielder Alex Scott to be at the club when the new season starts.

The 19-year-old missed the first day of preseason having recently played for England in the Under-20 World Cup.

He has been subject to repeated transfer speculation with Pearson previously valuing him at more than £25m.

Scott was voted the Championship's young player of the year at the end of the 2022-23 season.

"I expect him to be here. He'll be here and that's how I approach the situation," Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol.

"When you've got players who are potentially on clubs' wish lists then I think that's a very positive thing for us because it means we've got good players, and he won't be the only one we've got."

Nigel Pearson has already boosted his side before the new season with the arrival of three defenders

Scott started 42 out of 46 league games for Bristol City last season, scoring two goals and was praised by manager Pep Guardiola after the team's FA Cup defeat by Manchester City.

"We're not in a hurry to sell anybody, that's the bottom line. There is always going to be speculation about somebody with his amount of talent," Pearson said.

"We know that a number of Premier League clubs have been monitoring him, but so what? Nobody has yet put a bid in.

"If they do, I'm a football manager, that's up to the powers that be here to make that decision as to whether it's an acceptable deal or not.

"Even then I think our owners are very keen to try and keep our best players because if we have a successful season and get promoted, we've got a much better chance of keeping our best players.

"All I need to know is when something happens apart from that, he's our player, he's here, I'm looking forward to him playing for us again this season."

Pearson continued that that any midfield targets the club has this transfer window are "to strengthen, not replace" the potential departure of Scott.

"Anybody that we are either interested in or trying to sign or looking at in midfield is not to make room for Alex Scott going," Pearson added.

'Players have to want to be here'

The Robins have so far signed three defenders this transfer window in Haydon Roberts, Rob Dickie and Ross McCrorie. Contract negotiations remain ongoing with midfielder Andy King, while Pearson said winger Kane Wilson - who has been hampered by injury since joining last summer - was close to an exit before a proposed deal fell through.

Discussions were also had over re-signing former defender Joe Bryan, who played for the Robins between 2011 and 2018 and has been released by Fulham this summer.

"I spoke with him a number of times. He was actually brave enough to talk about having some reservations about it," Pearson said.

"We here are trying to create a side that is driven by a real thirst and hunger, it's important that we don't make mistakes in terms of bringing players in.

"Joe would have been a fabulous signing for us in many ways but only if it felt right and for him to verbalise that to me I was very pleased.

"I said to him the door's never closed but it would have been an expensive signing for us and we can't afford to have players in the building who question whether it's the right move for them."