Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur continue to have AFC Bournemouth‘s Eli Junior Kroupi on their radar, after considering signing him in the summer window.
In February 2025, Bournemouth agreed a deal with FC Lorient and the striker arrived at the club later that summer. He impressed in his debut season, scoring 13 Premier League goals from 33 matches.
His performances didn’t go unnoticed as Arsenal, Tottenham and Barcelona were among the clubs that wanted to sign him in the summer.
However, the 20-year-old suffered a foot injury in July, ruling him out for close to three months. That stopped his potential transfer during the last window.
Arsenal and Tottenham were keen
In June, we relayed news of the Gunners’ contact to sign the France U21 international. AFC Bournemouth had set a €100m price, and that didn’t scare Mikel Arteta’s side.
A month later, Sport Witness covered a report from Spain explaining that Spurs showed interest in the frontman.
Eli Junior Kroupi’s agent Moussa Sissoko didn’t close the door on his exit, which had given encouragement to his suitors. All of these developments took place before his injury blow.
Last weekend, he returned to action in Bournemouth’s 3-0 win over Manchester United. On Wednesday, he played 10 minutes in the Cherries’ EFL Cup win over Aston Villa.
Leaves door open for Bournemouth exit
DAZN in France spoke to the Bournemouth star and Sport have relayed his comments. He has talked about his desire to secure a move to one of the best clubs in the world.
“I’m going to give everything to play for the biggest clubs in the world, in the best leagues in the world,” he said.
In the summer, Barcelona identified Eli Junior Kroupi as an alternative to Atlético Madrid’s Julián Alvarez and missed out on both.
Sport now states the La Liga winners continue to have him on their radar. Hansi Flick and Barca sporting director Deco have positive reports about the Frenchman. A potential move won’t be easy because of the price and the Premier League interest.
The Cherries value him around €100m and Arsenal and Tottenham’s interest ‘threatens to drive up the price’ further, making it even more complicated for Barcelona. Despite this, the Catalan club will continue to monitor Kroupi, who is seen as a target for next summer.
Having returned from an injury, he needs to once again showcase his qualities and shine on the pitch. Otherwise, it’s unlikely the top clubs will consider investing €100m on him.
