Eli Junior Kroupi could have the pick of Europe's best teams when the January transfer window opens.
Junior Kroupi of Bournemouth during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Aston Villa at Vitality Stadium on October 28, 2026 in Bournemouth, England
Eli Junior Kroupi could be on the move in January.(Image: Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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Eli Junior Kroupi has outlined his ambition to 'play for the biggest clubs in the world' ahead of the January transfer window. Before suffering a foot injury in pre-season, which required surgery, the Bournemouth striker was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal as Mikel Arteta looked to bolster his frontline.
In the summer, football.london understood that the Gunners were interested in signing Kroupi, but the Cherries were insistent that he was not for sale. The 20-year-old, whose contract at the Vitality Stadium expires in June 2030, has only recently returned to action following a spell on the sidelines, but Arsenal are expected to continue monitoring his development.
As it stands, it remains to be seen whether Andrea Berta will try to prise Kroupi from the south coast at the start of the year. But that hasn't stopped the France Under-21 international from dreaming of playing alongside some of the world's best players.
In an interview with DAZN France, Kroupi has revealed his plan to one day jump ship. As quoted by Spanish outlet Diario SPORT, Kroupi said: "I'm going to give my all to play for the biggest clubs in the world, in the best leagues in the world."
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"When I was little, playing in the Premier League was my dream. As I grew up, that dream became a goal," added the striker, before being asked whether he would have stayed at Bournemouth had he not suffered an injury.
"I can't say. I don't know what would have happened," Kroupi replied, keeping his cards close to his chest. He added: "At Bournemouth, I'm going to give everything for the fans and to help the team perform."
Although Kroupi may be tempted to one day leave Bournemouth, Bill Foley explained how he plans to hold onto some of his big names. During an interview with talkSPORT, while discussing the future of Alex Scott, the Cherries owner said: "Sometimes players get stars in their eyes, and they think that Chelsea or Manchester City is the right place to go.
"We believe, if we keep on buying infrastructure and a common thread of leadership across the team, then we will start keeping more and more players. People will be surprised about that, and they'll be able to earn substantial wages here.
"We have to respect the fact that a lot of our players are younger, and they've come to Bournemouth with the expectation that they'll get time to play and perhaps move on to a bigger team.
"We recognise that my job is to make players feel comfortable and provide them with the infrastructure they need to understand that."
Crystal Palace v Bournemouth - Premier League
Alex Scott (L) and Eli Junior Kroupi (R) have been linked with moves away from Bournemouth.(Image: Getty)
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Foley continued: "We're serious about what we're doing. We're in a brand new performance centre, and it is as state-of-the-art as they come. We're happy with where we are, and we believe we'll start making progress in terms of retaining key talent.
"It may not be this year, it may not be next year in terms of everyone, but we're close. We have to prove to the players this is a place they want to be and that they want to stay, and they don't want to move on because that's the way we really build a successful team."