Arsenal have shown interest in Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta reacts during the English Premier League football match between Sunderland and Arsenal at The Stadium of Light in Sunderland in north east England on September 12, 2026.
The injuries keep on coming for Arsenal(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be desperate for the return of club football as we approach the final days of the international break. It seems an age ago that Arsenal played their last Premier League fixture.
The shock 3-0 defeat at Brighton - their first loss of the season - came off the back of a seven-game winning streak across all competitions to kickstart the 2026/27 campaign. Before Arteta could address his side’s problems and get back to winning ways, 17 of his first-team stars were whisked away for Nations League fixtures and other international friendlies.
Much to the Spanish boss’ frustration, several of his key players have endured niggles over the break too. Martin Odegaard has returned to action since Bernardo Silva stepped on his ankle for Norway, though Kai Havertz is still racing to make his return against Leeds United on October 10, having been sent home from Germany’s camp.
Eli Junior Kroupi transfer update
Arsenal have been handed a transfer update regarding Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi. The 20-year-old was on Arteta’s transfer wishlist in the summer as the Gunners prioritised bringing in a forward.
However, Bournemouth insisted their star talent, whose goal against Manchester City handed Arsenal the title last term, was not for sale. Kroupi then suffered a fractured metatarsal during pre-season which firmly put an end to the Gunners’ summer pursuit.
Eli Junior Kroupi of AFC Bournemouth celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 15, 2025 in Manchester, England.
Arsenal are interested in signing Eli Junior Kroupi (Image: Getty Images)
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Given Arsenal’s failure to bring in Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez, many fans hoped the club would return with a bid for Kroupi in January. However, BBC Sport reports that Bournemouth are not willing to entertain any mid-season offers for the Frenchman, who is currently valued at around £100million.
Kroupi has not played a single game of football this season for the Cherries, having undergone surgery in July. He is not expected back until November.
Christos Tzolis clashes with manager
The decision has been made for Arsenal winger Tzolis to return to the club as he faces 15 to 20 days on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. The 24-year-old summer signing underwent tests after being forced off on Thursday evening for Greece, only minutes after his opener was ruled out for offside.
Tzolis pulled up and felt tightness in the back of his right hamstring. However, he was eager to continue playing and while he initially moved off the pitch with his head in his hands, he attempted to battle on.
Christos Tzolis of Greece is comforted during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 Group A2 MD3 match between Greece and the Netherlands at Toumba Stadium on October 1, 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Christos Tzolis didn't want to come off following his injury(Image: Getty )
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Manager Ivan Jovanovic then took it out of his hands and substituted him in order to protect him. Jovanovic detailed their clash during his press conference when asked to clarify the substitution debacle (quotes via sport24): "How do I handle it? You tell me? I'm his coach, I tell him to go out and he says, 'I'm not going out.'
"How do I handle it? So, this is something that I characterise as the Greek mentality and all these kids who come to play in the national team regardless of age. I think it was a scene that everyone saw, those who were close.
"I told him to get out, because I suspected that he wouldn't have done that if he hadn't felt something. We don't know how big the damage is today, but I hoped it was just a twitch, something temporary.
"I didn't have any reason to be honest, because these aren't qualifiers, they're the Nations League. First and foremost I wanted to protect the player. He didn't want to stay near me to go out; instead, he went to defend the corner. And then he went out. These are our players."
Sources close to Tzolis have indicated Arsenal are currently reluctant to put a timeframe on the attacker's fitness and they will instead assess his condition thoroughly once he arrives back in London. It had been a productive international break for the former Club Brugge forward prior to his setback, as he netted in the win over Serbia in Belgrade before later assisting the winner against Germany.