Liverpool are in battle with Chelsea over a deal to sign Bournemouth centre-forward Eli Junior Kroupi next summer, according to CaughtOffside.
Having come through the ranks at Lorient’s youth system, Kroupi made his senior debut on the final day of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaign. At just 16 years and 345 days, he broke Matteo Guendouzi’s long-standing record to become the youngest player in the club’s history, coming on for the last seven minutes of a 2–1 win against Strasbourg.
During the 2023/24 season, he surpassed Andre Ayew’s record as Lorient’s youngest-ever goalscorer, finding the net in a 5–3 loss to Nantes in September 2023. Shortly after, he scored twice in a 3–3 draw with Lyon, becoming the youngest player since 1974 to register a brace in Ligue 1.
Those displays in France attracted interest from several sides before Bournemouth secured his signing. This season, the 19-year-old has scored 10 Premier League goals, including the opener in the 2-1 win over Arsenal, becoming the youngest player to hit double figures in a debut Premier League season since Robbie Keane (12) for Coventry City in 1999-00.
Now, according to CaughtOffside, Kroupl is set to become Bournemouth’s next big sale following Dean Huijsen’s big-money move to Real Madrid last summer.
Among the clubs eyeing a move for the youngster are Liverpool and Chelsea, according to the report, which claims both clubs are preparing to launch a summer swoop to sign the 19-year-old.
Battle
Sources have revealed to CaughtOffside that the Premier League giants have shown a ‘concrete interest’ in the Frenchman and are set to battle for his signature in the summer.
However, it appears Liverpool are looking to steal a march on Chelsea, as the report adds that the Reds’ director, Richard Hughes, has a good relationship with Bournemouth and will be in contact with his former club to discuss Kroupi’s possible transfer to Anfield.
The Blues, on the other hand, have the France U21 star ‘high up on their list’ of summer targets as part of their youth-driven recruitment model, the report adds.
While the Cherries would ideally like to sell the centre-forward to clubs outside the Premier League amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain, their £55-60m valuation, according to the report, is well within Chelsea’s and Liverpool’s reach, so it’ll be interesting to see who wins the race for his signature.
Both Chelsea and Liverpool are gearing up for Champions League football. With Liverpool sitting four points ahead of the Blues, along with Hughes’s close ties with his former club, the Reds are in a more advantageous position to sign Kroupi in the summer.
