Arsenal have been linked with the Bournemouth forward.placeholder image
Arsenal have been linked with the Bournemouth forward. | Getty Images
AFC Bournemouth are working hard to ensure their latest rising star doesn’t leave the Vitality Stadium for less than £80 million.
Chelsea and Liverpool have been warned it could cost a staggering £80 million if they want to turn transfer interest in young AFC Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi into reality in an upcoming window.
The teenager arrived at the Vitality Stadium from Lorient a year ago but spent the back end of last season at the French side. It’s been a breakthrough campaign for the forward so far this term, with eight Premier League goals in just 846 minutes, prior to Tuesday night.
Kroupi has been used cautiously by Andoni Iraola in his first season of Premier League football but the forward’s talents have been plain to see. The Cherries star bagged a brace against Crystal Palace in October and has also registered against Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Arsenal and Chelsea target valued at £80 million by AFC Bournemouth
That has certainly not gone unnoticed with The Sun reporting that Chelsea and Liverpool are ‘tracking’ the player, alongside Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain - CaughtOffside had also carried reports of Arsenal interest. However suitors are told that any transfer could cost £80 million with talks underway for a new deal.
AFC Bournemouth proved their ability to agree an improved contract with a player and reap the benefits of a release clause when seeing Antoine Semenyo signed by Manchester City for £62.5 million last month.
The south coast club paid just £10 million for the striker last year and could be looking at a £70 million profit should reports of an £80 million valuation be true.
Andoni Iraola praises ‘incredible’ Junior Kroupi
Kroupi has also been making headlines with the France under-21 side since being promoted to that squad last August. The player registered a brace against Estonia and was also on target against Switzerland in October and November.
Speaking about Kroupi at the end of January, after a brilliant strike against Wolves, Iraola said: “If we put Junior around the box, he will score goals. I think we are changing our way of playing, we cannot press as intense as with three midfielders, but Junior gives us this quality around the box which is always important.
“It’s incredible [his goal tally]. He hasn’t started every game, at the beginning he had to fight for his minutes. His work has been more on the defensive side, without the ball. He’s giving us this workrate [to play alongside Evanilson], so we can keep him on the pitch.”
In other news, Arsenal and Chelsea 'monitoring' £65m-rated Premier League attacker along with Tottenham.
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