Will Arsenal buy Eli Junior Kroupi? | OneFootball

PSG may have stepped away from the race, but Bournemouth’s stance and Kroupi’s own comments suggest Arsenal would need a major shift to make a deal happen.

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At the time of writing, Eli Junior Kroupi looks an unlikely summer signing for Arsenal, despite confirmed interest from the club and the obvious appeal of a young forward who has already made a serious impact in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old Bournemouth striker has been heavily linked with a move after scoring 13 goals in 35 games in his first Premier League season, including goals home and away against Arsenal and the decisive goal against Manchester City on May 19, 2026, which ultimately helped the Gunners win the title.

That alone would explain why he has become a player of interest at the Emirates.

Sami Mokbel of the BBC and Fabrizio Romano have both confirmed that Arsenal hold an interest in the forward and have made calls to enquire about his situation.

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Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked, making him one of the most watched young attackers in Europe.

Mark Douglas of The i Paper reported in May that Bournemouth do not consider the player for sale at any price this summer.

Given there is no release clause in his deal, the Cherries are said to be bullish about keeping their key players, and the earliest point at which a transfer might be considered is 2027.

Even then, the asking price would reportedly be £100m or more with his current contract running until 2030.

Kroupi is also not pushing at the door to leave, either. Asked about his future, he made clear that his current focus is on staying where he is.

“For now, I’m happy at Bournemouth,” Kroupi said. “We’re playing in Europe next season, we’re going to prepare for that. It’s going to be great.”

That doesn’t sound like a player agitating for a move or with one eye elsewhere.

It is also significant because Paris Saint-Germain had previously been reported as his preferred destination ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea, only for later reports to claim that the French club had dropped out of the race.

In theory, that removes one major obstacle for Arsenal. In practice, it does not change the central issue, Bournemouth do not appear to want to sell, and the player doesn’t want to leave and by the time that changes, PSG could have reassessed the situation.

Andoni Iraola, who has replaced Arne Slot as Liverpool manager, urged Kroupi to continue his development at Bournemouth.

“I think Junior has been a big challenge for me this season, one of the biggest challenges because we noticed straight away he has special things. His finishing is top for me,” Iraola said before he left.

“For sure, I think he will play even more minutes next season. I think this is the best place for him to continue his evolution.”

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Kroupi moved from FC Lorient for just €13m after scoring 23 goals in 32 games in Ligue 2, and adapted quickly to English football.

His 13 Premier League goals included three against Arsenal and City, plus another three against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. He did not face Chelsea and only started one of two games against Liverpool, or his record against the league’s biggest sides might look even better.

At present, Arsenal appear to be watching a player they like rather than advancing on a transfer they can realistically complete, but things can and do change quickly when the transfer window opens.

Kroupi may yet become a serious target as the window moves on, but all available signs point towards a move being unlikely now.

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