FC Barcelona has set its sights on Eli Junior Kroupi, the 19-year-old French forward who turned heads during his debut Premier League season at AFC Bournemouth. The problem: Bournemouth has slapped a €100 million price tag on a player they insist isn’t even for sale.
The kid from Lorient who got very expensive, very fast
Born on June 23, 2006, in Lorient, France, Kroupi joined Bournemouth permanently in February 2025 for approximately £12 million plus add-ons. A few months later, the club is reportedly valuing him at over eight times that acquisition cost.
In the 2025/26 Premier League season, Kroupi has tallied between 12 and 13 goals across 33 appearances, starting 21 of those matches. For a teenager in his first full campaign in English football, those are eye-popping numbers.
Kroupi is described as a versatile striker, someone who can operate across the front line rather than being anchored to a single position. That profile fits neatly into the mold Barcelona has been shopping for as it plans life after Robert Lewandowski, who, at 36, is closer to the end of his career than anyone at Camp Nou wants to admit publicly.
