- Barcelona eyeing Eli Kroupi
- Man City already linked with Bournemouth star
- Cherries reveal transfer stance
Barcelona have reportedly joined Manchester City in keeping tabs on one of the Premier League’s most exciting young forwards.
Man City have relied heavily on Erling Haaland as their main centre-forward. However, the other attacking options they possess offer a different profile across the front line.
Likewise, City don’t have a backup striker of Haaland’s profile who can help them win games from time to time.
Hence, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Man City make a move for a striker in the summer. The Sky Blues aren’t planning on replacing their Norwegian goal machine, but instead they will be bringing an understudy.
Barcelona join Man City in Eli Junior Kroupi transfer race
Sky Sports now reports that Barcelona are interested in Man City target Junior Kroupi. The striker plays for Bournemouth and has scored 12 goals in 18 Premier League starts this season.
The Spanish giants have tracked the 19-year-old extensively this season and view him as a long-term prospect.
Barcelona aren’t the only competition in the race as multiple Premier League outfits are also interested in the striker.
However, Bournemouth are not willing to sell the striker in the upcoming transfer window. The Frenchman has a five-year deal with the Cherries.
He signed from Lorient in the 2025 winter transfer window and spent the remainder of the season in Ligue 2. The striker scored his first Premier League goal during injury time in September against Leeds United.
Thierry Henry makes ‘great goalscorer’ Kroupi claim
Thierry Henry wasn’t surprised by Kroupi’s rise. Henry tried to call him up to France’s U21 side when the striker was only 16.
The Arsenal legend remembers it not going well as Kroupi was yet to play for the U17s, U18s, and U19s. However, Henry believed that age didn’t matter when the skill was present.
“I’m not surprised. I thought of taking him when he was only 16 with the U21s. That didn’t go down too well at the time because he hadn’t played with the U17s, the U18s, the U19s,” Henry told Monday Night Football.
The World Cup winner added, “But when you see someone who has that raw talent and desire, age doesn’t matter. He has been proving that he’s a great goalscorer, very Jermain Defoe-like when he’s in the box. He can play on the right, on the left.”
With 12 goals, Kroupi is joint-sixth on this season’s Premier League’s highest goal scorers list. The Frenchman is the youngest player in the top 100.
Kroupi’s profile could interest Man City
Kroupi’s goal-scoring record is a strong start in the English top-flight, especially while playing for a club that is barely holding on to a European spot for the upcoming season.
The Frenchman is also young and has already adapted well to English football. He can play centrally, behind the striker or from wider areas.
The striker’s versatility is a gift for Pep Guardiola’s system as the Catalan manager employs positional play.
Kroupi has 7.90 xG and 9.01 xGOT, suggesting that he is overperforming expectations. Two of his goals have come from penalties, but that only adds to the player’s profile.
Confidently taking penalties at 19 will be an asset for City. Nevertheless, for Guardiola, Kroupi offers an intriguing profile who can become another long-term attacking option for the club.
