Eli Junior Kroupi is the real deal: Why the teenager could be Bournemouth’s first £80m player
Bournemouth star Eli Junior Kroupi has had limited minutes so far.
The Cherries bought the 19-year-old in February, though he would remain in France on loan until the summer – now, he’s been integrated into manager Andoni Iraola’s plans and eased into first-team reckoning over the past few weeks.
But after a summer in which Bournemouth sold three first-teamers for over £50 million, could Kroupi become the club’s first £80m sale?
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Bournemouth star Eli Junior Kroupi has long been touted as a future star
Iraola has been cautious with Kroupi thus far (Image credit: Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
In 2023, Kroupi became Lorient’s youngest-ever player, breaking the record previously set by Matteo Guendouzi – and in his development, he would become a key player for Les Merlus.
After agreeing his Premier League move in the winter, Kroupi scored 13 in 13 appearances to lead Lorient to the Ligue 2 title.
Kroupi scored on his first Premier League start (Image credit: Getty Images)
The teenager has naturally drawn comparisons with the likes of Hugo Ekitike and given that he’s still young, his final form is yet to show itself: he’s played up front but for Bournemouth boss Iraola, he has the potential to slot into a number of positions.
With Evanilson ruled out against Crystal Palace with a calf problem, Kroupi started up front – and unlike most lone-striker systems, Iraola makes sure to surround his frontman with support from both wings and Justin Kluivert at no.10 behind.
But Kroupi’s movement arguably his biggest strength – and when he’s played behind the striker, he’s capable of ghosting beyond and into the box: he’s adept at getting shots off with either foot, but his penchant to hit with his right means that he could be on option on the left-wing, too.
FourFourTwo certainly sees stylistic similarities with Leandro Trossard in his profile – but should Ekitike develop into a more physical presence, he could well become a striker in the long-term.
Kroupi has represented most of France’s youth sides (Image credit: Seb Daly – Sportsfile/UEFA via Getty Images)
That’s where his value becomes truly interesting: as we saw over the summer, Ekitike commanded a huge fee after excellent form in the Bundesliga and should Kroupi become a reliable no.9 in England, there’s every chance that the elite clubs will sniff around for a Premier League-proven striker.
For now, he’s still now guarantee to keep his spot when Evanilson returns – but given the trajectories of Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Antoine Semenyo under Iraola, you wouldn’t bet against the Cherries turning a handsome profit for the Frenchman one day.
