Nigel Pearson has warned interested clubs will have to 'pay a lot of money' to sign Alex Scott amid rising transfer speculation. Newcastle United are among the Premier League sides to recently be credited with an interest in the Bristol City wonderkid.
Scott has emerged as a regular starter for the Robins this term, and was one of several stars to impress during the FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday night. A brace from Phil Foden along with Kevin de Bruyne's strike sealed a 3-0 victory for the top-flight champions at Ashton Gate, but Pep Guardiola praised their Championship opponents for their performance.
A recent report from Football Insider claimed the Magpies were leading the race for Scott this summer, with the young midfielder said to valued at £25 million by the Robins. Leeds United and Tottenham are both reportedly long-term admirers of the 19-year-old, with West Ham and Wolves also linked.
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City boss Nigel Pearson was asked about Scott in the wake of a strong showing against elite opposition. The former Newcastle caretaker boss insists any bidders will have to pay a premium to land the England youth international who is contracted until 2025.
Pearson told ITV Sport: "That doesn’t surprise me. He is our player and it’s nice to have players that other people like - but if people want our players they will have to pay a lot of money."
Roy Keane was joined by fellow pundit Ian Wright in the studio for the cup tie, and singled out Scott for praise. The Manchester United legend believes the teenager showed signs which could lead to him enjoying a 'fantastic career'.
Keane said: "When you look at what he can do and how comfortable he looked in the company that he was in tonight - in a game when they didn’t have a lot of the ball, he did well when he did have it. He showed enough tonight that he has got the chance of having a fantastic career."
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