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Arsenal join race to sign Bournemouth star Eli Junior Kroupi

By on May 5, 2026

Eli Junior Kroupi

Arsenal have expressed interest in signing Bournemouth centre-forward Eli Junior Kroupi next summer, as per Sports Boom.

The French forward came to the limelight while in the youth ranks of Ligue 1 side Lorient. He became the club’s youngest ever debutant at 16 years and 345 days and quickly broke Andre Ayew’s record to become the club’s youngest ever goal scorer soon after. He followed that up with a brace in a 3-3 draw against Lyon to become Ligue 1’s youngest player to net a brace since 1974.

Those performances drew widespread interest before Bournemouth won the race to sign him in February 2025, where he remained on loan before joining permanently last summer.

In the ongoing campaign, the youngster has netted 12 goals in the Premier League and recently made waves by netting the opener in the 2-1 win over Arsenal last month to become the league’s youngest player to hit double figures in a debut season after Robbie Keane’s 12 in 1999-00 for Coventry City.

With the summer transfer window fast approaching, Kroupi is expected to attract keen interest, particularly from Premier League clubs, including Arsenal.

This is according to Sports Boom, which claims that the Premier League leaders admire Kroupi’s dynamic quality to operate as a false nine.

‘Modern forward’

Mikel Arteta has made his tactics heavily dependent on versatile players, and it’s no surprise the report adds that the north London club view the French international as a ‘modern forward’ who can fit perfectly into the manager’s tactical setup.

With a contract at the Vitality Stadium that runs until 2029, Sports Boom reports that Bournemouth are in a strong negotiating position, especially given the absence of a release clause in Kroupi’s deal, but they could be open to offers between £51m and £60m.

However, Arsenal face stern competition in the race for the 19-year-old, as Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, who are ready to submit an offer, are all set to battle with the Gunners to sign the youngster.

Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes were gifted a massive boost as Everton held Manchester City to a 3-3 draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium to preserve their five-point lead.

At least six points from their next three games would see the Gunners end their two-decade wait for a league title to be crowned Premier League champions after coming second in their last three seasons.