Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have an opportunity to sign Eli Junior Kroupi even after AFC Bournemouth closed the door.
The striker scored 13 goals in his debut season for Bournemouth. His performances and potential has seen him attract interest from Tottenham, Manchester City, Barcelona and other clubs.
Earlier this month, Kroupi’s agent Moussa Sissoko said he’s yet to make the final decision, giving encouragement to his suitors.
On Tuesday, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain that Spurs, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are in the bidding. The operation is complex because of Bournemouth’s inflated price of €100m.
Wednesday’s edition of Sport mentions both Tottenham Hotspur and Enzo Maresca’s side in a report focusing on Barcelona.
The La Liga winners want to please Hansi Flick, who has already requested for a striker. They are facing Atlético Madrid’s resistance over Julián Alvarez and have identified Eli Junior Kroupi as the main alternative.
Barcelona have been monitoring the Bournemouth star for a while, and he is a player that appeals to their leaders.
However, there has been no advances because the focus has been on the Argentine.
Bournemouth snub PL duo
Barca are aware it’s not easy to sign the 20-year-old, even though he’s open to a move.
That’s because Bournemouth have no urgent need to raise funds and aren’t planning to sell Eli Junior Kroupi. They have already communicated this to his agent.
Sport states the Cherries have already ‘closed the door on Tottenham and Manchester City, although in this case there is a sense that negotiations might actually be possible.’
This indicates the Premier League duo have hope of signing the France U21 international.
Should Bournemouth open the door, they would prefer to sell the frontman to a club outside England.
This makes it complicated for the Premier League duo.
Enzo Maresca has the striker position well covered with Erling Haaland. The player’s camp may be using Manchester City [and other English clubs] to create hype or put pressure on his genuine suitors.