Jaw-dropping Junior Kroupi price tag set as Arsenal, Liverpool target blockbuster transfer

The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool have been set a new price to sign summer transfer target Eli Junior Kroupi, after Chelsea and PSG both made firm approaches for explosive Bournemouth forward.

Kroupi enjoyed a superb debut season in the Premier League, following his bargain £10million move from French side Lorient, scoring 13 goals for the south coast outfit in 35 games in all competitions.

The France Under-21 star is viewed as a perfect addition to an Arsenal squad that lacked a creative spark in their forward line at times this past season, despite securing their first Premier League title in 22 years and also reaching the Champions League final.

While it was reported that the Gunners were at the front of the queue to sign the 19-year-old talent, reports from France last week then revealed that both Chelsea and PSG have also been pushing for a summer deal for Kroupi.

TEAMtalk sources, meanwhile, recently revealed Liverpool’s chances of signing Kroupi and securing a reunion with Andoni Iraola on Merseyside.

That’s despite the Spaniard urging the player to resist the urge to leave this summer, while he was still in charge at Bournemouth.

Indeed, Iraola said: “He’s still very young and has just arrived into the Premier League and it’s his first season. For sure, I think he will play even more minutes next season and will continue evolving.

“He has a high ceiling but I think this is the best place for him to continue his evolution.”

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Bournemouth set £100m-plus Kroupi asking price

Despite Iraola’s comments, the buzz around the player suggests there will be offers incoming for Kroupi, with French outlet Foot Mercato recently stating that Bournemouth want €100m (£86m / $115m) amid interest from Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich as well.

And now a report the i Paper claims that the Cherries would in fact demand a fee ‘well in excess’ of £100m to sell Kroupi this summer.

Indeed, they expect the player to stay on the south coast for at least one more season, unless Kroupi or his representatives ‘start pushing for a move’.

That tallies up with what our sources are hearing, with Kroupi viewed as ‘not for sale’, no matter the offers that come in to try and secure his services.

Bournemouth have already undergone significant change this summer following the departure of Iraola to Liverpool, while key centre-back Marcos Senesi has also moved on after the expiry of his contract.

The south coast outfit are determined to provide new boss Marco Rose with the strongest possible platform to succeed and have no desire to weaken the squad by allowing their biggest talents to leave.

Kroupi is firmly among that group.

If that remains the case, then Arsenal and Liverpool, specifically, will turn to other attacking targets, with the Gunners in the mix for both Julian Alvarez and Rafael Leao.

As for Iraola’s side, they could have an ace up their sleeve in their chase for exciting RB Leipzig attacker Yan Diomande, while sources indicate they’ve even been offered the chance to re-sign Darwin Nunez.

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