Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have made contact with Bournemouth over a possible move for England midfielder Alex Scott in the January transfer window, The i Paper understands.

The initial enquiries are understood to be exploratory, with the three clubs seeking to establish the market conditions that would persuade Bournemouth to sell a player who has indicated he is not willing to sign a new contract.

The i Paper understands Liverpool and Chelsea are the keenest to make a move in January, while Arsenal would prefer to wait until the summer. However, their hand could be forced if a bidding war develops for the 23-year-old, who rejected two contract offers over the summer.

Bournemouth remain in a strong negotiating position and have little desire to sell Scott in January, particularly with the club harbouring realistic ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League. Despite his reluctance to sign a new deal, Scott is also understood to be happy to remain on the south coast for the rest of the season.

However, a sufficiently substantial offer in January would be considered, given Scott has just 18 months remaining on his contract and his value is likely to fall significantly in the summer.

Bournemouth’s current position is that it would take an offer in excess of £100m to prise Scott away mid-season. Sources close to the club have dismissed suggestions that a bid of £80m would be enough to prompt negotiations.

Their valuation reflects the cost of securing a replacement, the £25m already invested in signing Scott from Bristol City and the substantial sell-on fee due to his former club. The i Paper understands Bristol City are entitled to 20 per cent of any transfer fee Bournemouth receive for the midfielder.

Bournemouth rejected several offers from Chelsea in the region of £70m during the summer, while other midfielders changed clubs for fees of around £100m in the same window. There is therefore little prospect of Scott being available at a cut-price fee.

A source told The i Paper it was far from a “done deal” that Scott would leave in January, with Bournemouth having demonstrated over the summer that they would not be pressured into selling their leading players.

The example of Antoine Semenyo, who signed a new contract before departing in January, is also relevant. Insiders say Scott has not allowed the speculation surrounding his future to affect him.

However, his ambition to play at the highest level is understood to be strong, and the interest of three of England’s biggest clubs underlines his growing reputation.

Chelsea have long been regarded as favourites to sign Scott, but Liverpool are now viewed as serious contenders, with the potential connection to Andoni Iraola adding another dimension to their interest. Arsenal’s involvement raises the prospect of a bidding war in January for one of English football’s most highly rated young midfielders.

Tottenham and Manchester City also registered an interest in the summer but turned their attention to alternative targets after Bournemouth made clear they had no intention of selling.

Scott is understood to earn around £50,000 a week, meaning a move could potentially see his wages triple.

While losing another of their leading prospects would represent a blow to Bournemouth, the club’s ability to continue performing impressively despite the departure of key players is also a measure of their progress.

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They are on a run of eight successive victories in all competitions and defender James Hill has been rewarded for his impressive form with a call-up to the England squad.

Head coach Marco Rose appears to have picked up where Iraola left off, overseeing a significant revival following a heavy defeat by Chelsea which was described by insiders as a “turning point moment”. Bournemouth’s recruitment has also been consistently impressive over successive seasons.

They remain realistic contenders for the Europa League and currently sit seventh in the Premier League.