Liverpool step up Eli Junior Kroupi transfer deal after Andoni Iraola appointment | OneFootball

Liverpool are heading for big changes in attack this summer.

The Reds have waved goodbye to Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian King reached an agreement to rip up his £400k per week contract one year early.

Federico Chiesa is likely to join him in the departure lounge while there is uncertainty over Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo.

Factor in Hugo Ekitike’s injury - and Alexander Isak’s frequent injury issues - and you can see why Richard Hughes and Andoni Iraola may be seeking forwards.

One name to appear on the radar ahead of the 43-year-old’s appointment as head coach was Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi.

Liverpool to intensify Kroupi chase

Reds recruiters are reported to have been impressed by the Frenchman’s breakout Premier League campaign - with the outgoing champions among the teams competing for his signature this summer.

Plans to sign the 19-year-old will now be advanced following Iraola’s installation according to a report in TEAMtalk.

Unfortunately for the Reds it looks like Bournemouth will be able to resist offers for their young forward talent this summer with the player under contract until 2029.

“Arsenal and Liverpool have all been tracking the forward, with the latter maintaining a particularly close watch following Iraola’s move to Anfield,” the report reads.

“There is no expectation that Kroupi will leave and Bournemouth are planning for him to be a major part of Rose’s project moving forward, and, at the very least, for another season at least.”

Eli Junior Kroupi: Situation summary

Eli Junior Kroupi is a 19-year-old French forward, born in Lorient in June 2006, who has rapidly become one of the Premier League’s standout teenage attackers at Bournemouth.

Signed from Lorient with the deal completed in early 2025, he adapted quickly to English football.

Standing around 1.79m with a strong, mobile frame, he combines a low centre of gravity with genuine explosiveness over the first few yards.

On the pitch, Kroupi profiles as a modern hybrid forward: primarily a centre-forward, but comfortable as a second striker, No.10 or on the left.

He offers sharp movement in behind, drops to link play, and presses with real intensity, thriving in Bournemouth’s high-tempo, front-foot system.

His 2025/26 breakthrough saw him hit double figures in the league, with a finishing profile built on varied techniques, shots from range and an instinct for attacking imperfect chances.

Contractually, Bournemouth are protected by a long-term deal running to 2029, reportedly without a release clause, which has emboldened the club’s “not for sale” stance and talk of valuations in the €60–70m bracket and beyond.

Internally, there is confidence they can resist offers this summer, with briefings suggesting a serious exit would only be entertained closer to 2027 at nine-figure levels.

Kroupi himself has publicly indicated he is happy at Bournemouth and looking forward to European football with the Cherries.

Even so, his trajectory has put him firmly on the radar of the Premier League elite, with Arsenal, Manchester City and others monitoring him closely and being linked with big-money moves after his debut full Premier League season.

For now, the most realistic medium-term destiny feels like a future marquee move to a Champions League contender rather than an imminent jump in 2026, as Bournemouth seek to build around him for at least one more campaign.