Updated: 31 May 2026 13:56 BST |
5 min read
Arsenal and Chelsea have suffered a blow to their hopes of signing Eli Junior Kroupi after learning Bayern Munich have joined the race to sign Bournemouth’s teenage sensation, according to reports in Germany.
Kroupi has established himself as one of the best young players in the world following a remarkable breakthrough season with Bournemouth, scoring 13 times to help the Cherries qualify for next season’s Europa League.
After netting his 13th goal in Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City earlier this month, the 19-year-old broke the Premier League record for the most goals scored by a teenager in their debut season.
Displaying ruthless finishing beyond his years, Kroupi’s form in front of goal has led to him being linked with a host of clubs, with The Guardian claiming Arsenal are monitoring the forward ahead of the summer transfer window.
A separate report in The i Paper claims managerless Man City have also earmarked Kroupi as a transfer target, while there has been tentative links with Chelsea as well.
However, according to German publication Absolut Bayern via Merkur, Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern are also interested in signing the France Under-21 international as cover for their prolific forward line.
Bayern were keen to sign Anthony Gordon as cover for Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Luis Diaz – who plundered over 100 goals between them this season – but they were pipped to the England star by Barcelona this week.
While several of Europe’s elite continue to vie for Kroupi, Bournemouth’s President of Football Operations Tiago Pinto is adamant the striker will not be sold when the transfer window reopens next month.
In an interview with Saudi Arabian outlet 365scores, Pinto said: “Junior Kroupi will not be leaving Bournemouth. His contract still has more than four years remaining, there is no release clause, and he’s not going anywhere.
“We will not sell Kroupi even if we receive offers of €100million (£85m) euros. That is completely out of the question.”
And when asked about his future in an interview with Stadium Astro earlier this month, Kroupi said: “Perform with my team (Bournemouth) and perform also in Europe also because it is very beautiful to be in Europe, but you have to perform to play there.”
Arteta wants Arsenal board to invest heavily following Champions League final loss
Following Arsenal’s heartbreaking loss to Paris Saint-Germain in Saturday’s Champions League final, manager Mikel Arteta urged the club’s hierarchy to invest heavily this summer.
Addressing the media after the game, the Spaniard said: “We’ll start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level.
“And we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand us to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”
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