Bournemouth are preparing to take a hardline stance over three of their most coveted players amid interest from several Premier League giants this summer.
The club recently achieved their highest-ever league finish of sixth in the top flight, securing European football for the first time in their history next season.
Bournemouth have already moved to replace departing head coach Andoni Iraola with Marco Rose ahead of what promises to be a landmark campaign.
The south coast outfit have grown accustomed to losing their best players to bigger clubs, with Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Antoine Semenyo all departing over the past year.
However, Europa League qualification has shifted the dynamic considerably, and Bournemouth are now determined to avoid a repeat of those departures in the upcoming transfer window.
According to reports, Bournemouth are set to resist approaches for midfielder Alex Scott, striker Rayan, and January signing Eli Junior Kroupi ahead of the summer window.
Scott, valued at £60m, is attracting interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle, but the club are eager to reward him with a new contract.
Rayan is also a target for Arsenal, while Kroupi, who joined from Vasco da Gama and is understood to have an £86.5m release clause, is being monitored by Liverpool, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Vitality Stadium chiefs do not feel any pressure to sell the trio, with the extra prestige and finances brought by Europa League qualification strengthening their negotiating position considerably.
Incoming head coach Rose is reportedly determined to keep all three players available for the club’s historic first venture into European competition next season.
Rose is well aware that he faces an extremely difficult task in following Iraola, and will need a deep, quality squad to handle the additional fixture demands that European football brings.
Retaining Scott, Rayan and Kroupi would send a clear message to rivals that Bournemouth are not simply a stepping stone for ambitious players seeking moves to elite clubs.
With English clubs having won recent Europa League and Conference League finals, Bournemouth may believe they are genuinely capable of mounting a competitive European campaign of their own.
Any club hoping to prize away the Cherries’ key assets will likely need to produce substantial financial offers alongside compelling sporting arguments to have any chance of success.
