Why seemingly everyone is eyeing ‘the new Mbappe’ at Bournemouth… | OneFootball

Junior Kroupi could be one of the most in-demand young players in the Premier League this summer. You understand why when you see his finishing stats…

Bournemouth appear to have done it again. The Cherries signed Kroupi a year ago but left him at Lorient for the rest of last season. This term, though, the 19-year-old has been instrumental, making the Premier League look a piece of p*ss.

Kroupi has scored eight goals, including strikes against half of the Big Six, which has made all of them take notice of the France Under-21 international.

When the big boys do their homework, they will see that there are few better finishers out there than Kroupi.

Across a vast range of metrics, our friends at data analysts Gradient Sports grade every player out of 100, measuring execution and outcome to offer the most insightful and accurate view of individual performance.

When it comes to finishing, Kroupi is king…

Here are the top 10 graded players for shooting in the Premier League.

10) Igor Thiago (Brentford) – 87.6

A two-time Premier League Player of the Month this season with the ink barely dry on a new contract while he stands as the only non-Manchester City player to be within a dozen goals of Erling Haaland.

9) Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal) – 88.1

The Arsenal midfielder ranks third in the league and top of all central midfielders for shooting in open play.

8) Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur) – 88.6

Even more so than your average Spurs player, the Brazilian has his critics, but Gradient’s rating system suggests Richarlison pulled off the best attempt on goal all season. Just a shame it was wasted on this north London derby.

7) Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – 88.8

West Ham have attempted the fourth-lowest number of shots in the Premier League but have the fourth-highest shots on target ratio. Which is largely to do with Bowen’s quality, especially in the absence of Lucas Paqueta. Their captain is loved by the Hammers but still feels underrated outside east London.

6) Lukas Nmecha (Leeds United) – 89.4

Of those in this top 10, only Zubimendi has attempted fewer shots but Nmecha has the best ratio for unsaveable shots (27.8%) meaning the attempts he makes tend to be buried.

5) Iliman Ndiaye (Everton) – 89.7

Ndiaye has been linked with Manchester United, as most players who string a few decent performances tend to be. But the Everton forward has been crucial for the Toffees this term, in which of all the players to have attempted 25 shots, only Neco Williams has a (marginally) higher shots on target ratio than Ndiaye’s 70%.

4) Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) – 89.8

The Hungary star who dreams of Real Madrid, apparently, is ranked top for unpressured shooting, but way, way down for pressured shooting. The lesson: get tight, FFS.

3) Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United) – 89.8

The Brazilian ranks third for shooting and second for passing. What more do you want from a central midfielder? As we might see while Guimaraes sits out for the next few weeks with a hamstring injury, he would be a bigger loss than Sandro Tonali if the Italian gets the move he – or his agent – is agitating for.

2) Harry Wilson (Fulham) – 92.1

Someone might bag themselves a banging freebie in the summer when Wilson’s Fulham terms expire. Everton, if they get their way. The 28-year-old knows his way around a dead ball, but he also ranks second in both shooting in open play and pressured shooting.

1) Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth) – 93.3

We don’t often find ourselves nodding along with Jamie Redknapp but here we are. “My first thought when I watch him is Jermain Defoe,” the Sky Sports pundit said of Kroupi last month. “Unbelievable striker of the ball, great finisher. He gets that dip on it – it’s ferocious.” Others have drawn comparisons with Kylian Mbappe. Which might be extreme, but there are good reasons Kroupi is catching eyes from, well, everywhere. Like the fact the 19-year-old also ranks top for pressured shooting and shooting in open play.