Updated: 14 May 2026 10:52 BST |
4 min read
Bournemouth chief Tiago Pinto has insisted that sought-after forward Eli Junior Kroupi will not be sold during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Kroupi, 19, has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign at the Vitality Stadium and he has emerged as a target for several top European clubs in recent weeks, with the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain all interested in signing him.
However, the Frenchman’s current contract runs until 2030 and rumours have suggested that a transfer fee of up to €100 million will be required to sign him this summer.
Antoine Semenyo, Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara have all left Andoni Iraola’s side over the past 12 months, but Pinto has revealed that a deal for Kroupi will not be finalised this summer as Bournemouth have no intention of sanctioning a sale.
The Cherries’ Head of Football Operations told Saudi Arabian publication 365scores: “Junior Kroupi will not be leaving the club. His contract is for more than four years, there is no release clause in the contract, and he will not be going anywhere.
“We will not sell Kroupi even if we receive offers of €100m.”
Analysis: Why Arsenal want to sign Eli Junior Kroupi
Although Bournemouth are evidently eager to avoid selling Kroupi this summer, it’s easy to see why clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd are keeping close tabs on his development.
The France U21 international has been one of the breakout stars of the 2025-26 Premier League season and with Arsenal keen to bolster their attacking options this summer, Kroupi makes perfect sense as a target.
He is a versatile attacker capable of playing across the forward line and with 12 goals in the English top flight this term, he clearly hasn’t struggled to adapt to the rigours of the division at all.
Kroupi’s positional awareness means he often finds space on the edge of the penalty area, he is capable of shooting powerfully off either foot, and when he starts deeper, his late runs into the box make him almost impossible to mark. It’s why a number of his goals have come from around the penalty spot this term.
But, with Bournemouth potentially set to qualify for the Champions League, it’s clear why a sale has been ruled out ahead of the summer window.
Related stories:
Arsenal can sign Declan Rice 2.0 on cut-price deal after ‘devastating’ World Cup snub
Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Carrick to stay, operation Mourinho, Chelsea manager race
Transfer Rumours: Man Utd chase Bellingham as €50m Chelsea demand revealed
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
•Google Play
•App Store
