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Tottenham may have to wait until next summer if they want to sign Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, with the Cherries reportedly unwilling to entertain a January sale. The 20-year-old has only just returned from a serious foot injury, but he has already shown why so many clubs are keeping an eye on him.
Spurs have won their last three Premier League matches under Roberto De Zerbi, although their centre-forwards are still struggling to find the net regularly. Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush have managed just one league goal apiece this season, and the club have been linked with several strikers ahead of January.
Tottenham target Eli Junior Kroupi
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Bournemouth remain reluctant to sell Eli Junior Kroupi in January
According to Football Insider, Tottenham remain interested in Kroupi, but Bournemouth have no intention of letting him leave midway through the campaign. The report claims the Cherries wanted more than £80m for the Frenchman during the summer and could demand a similar fee in January.
That stance is hardly new. SpursWeb reported back in September that Bournemouth were determined to keep Kroupi until at least the end of the season, despite interest from Tottenham and Arsenal.
Transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke believes a summer move is far more realistic, particularly after the injury that kept Kroupi out of the opening months of the season. Speaking to Football Insider, he explained why interested clubs could face a difficult task in January.
O’Rourke said: “I would say next summer is more likely for Kroupi if he is to leave Bournemouth. A lot of clubs were interested in him in the summer, but his injury ended any chance of a move away.”
There is no indication that Tottenham have submitted a new offer, and Bournemouth have little reason to rush into a sale. Marco Rose’s side have won six consecutive matches in all competitions, with Kroupi now returning to an attack that has been performing well without him.
Kroupi’s latest Bournemouth performance shows why Spurs are interested
Kroupi suffered a fractured metatarsal during pre-season and required surgery in July, eventually returning to the Bournemouth squad against Manchester United on October 25. He has since made another Premier League appearance, coming off the bench against Leeds United at the weekend.
There was an impressive moment late in that game, with Kroupi combining with Amine Adli before playing the pass that allowed his teammate to score Bournemouth’s second goal. It was a clever bit of play in a tight area, and a reminder that the Frenchman has more to his game than simply putting chances away.
Rose is still building up Kroupi’s fitness rather than throwing him straight back into the starting eleven. That is understandable after such a lengthy absence, particularly when Bournemouth are enjoying an excellent run of results.
E. Kroupi
Bournemouth – Premier League (2025 – 2026)
Appearances 33
Minutes Played 1690
Average Rating 6.80
Shots 33
Shots on Target 22
Goals 13
Assists 0
Yellow Cards 5
Red Cards 0
Penalties Scored 2
There is a good reason Kroupi is attracting so much interest. He scored 13 Premier League goals last season despite playing just 1,690 minutes, giving him an average of 0.69 goals per 90 minutes.
Two of those goals came from the penalty spot, leaving him with 11 non-penalty goals at a rate of 0.59 per 90 minutes. Those are impressive numbers for a player who was still a teenager during the campaign, especially in his first season in the Premier League.
Would Kroupi actually solve Tottenham’s striker problem?
This is where Tottenham have a decision to make. Kroupi is clearly an exciting goalscorer, but he is not necessarily the conventional number nine that some supporters might imagine when they look at his statistics.
The Frenchman is comfortable playing off another forward or drifting inside from the left, rather than always operating as the furthest player forward. In fact, The Independent reported in July that Tottenham had identified him as a target for the left side of their attack.
That versatility could appeal to De Zerbi, who likes attacking players capable of finding space and combining in tight areas. Kroupi demonstrated those qualities against Leeds, having replaced Justin Kluivert rather than Bournemouth’s starting centre-forward Evanilson.
However, if Tottenham’s main January priority is someone who can immediately lead the line and score consistently, the situation becomes more complicated. Kroupi has only just returned from a serious injury, and Bournemouth are reportedly asking for a fee that would represent another enormous investment in a young player.
There is also no guarantee that he would immediately displace Solanke or Marmoush in De Zerbi’s starting eleven. His goalscoring ability is obvious, but Tottenham would need to decide whether they were buying him to solve their current problems or to become a major part of their attack over the next several years.
Tottenham may need a different January solution
Waiting until the summer would give Tottenham more time to assess Kroupi’s recovery and whether he can reproduce last season’s goalscoring form. The problem, of course, is that they might not be the only club prepared to make a serious move when the season ends.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with the Bournemouth youngster, and competition for his signature could become even stronger if he starts scoring regularly again. The reported £80m valuation is already substantial, particularly when Bournemouth have made it clear through reports that they are not looking to sell.
For now, Tottenham may be better served by separating their January needs from their longer-term recruitment plans. Kroupi has the potential to be an outstanding signing, but paying a huge fee for a player still regaining fitness does not look like the simplest way to solve their immediate problems in front of goal.