Barcelona have revived their interest in French striker Eli Junior Kroupi, the Bournemouth star, in a fresh attempt to bolster their attacking line. The English club have taken a firm stance, announcing their outright refusal to sell the player during the current summer transfer window.
According to Catalan newspaper “Sport”, Blaugrana sporting director Deco has once again put the 20-year-old’s name on the negotiating table. The move comes after a deal for Argentina’s Julian Alvarez grew complicated, with Atletico Madrid refusing to negotiate, as Barca hunt for a future replacement for Poland’s Robert Lewandowski.
An exceptional season
Kroupi, the France under-21 international, produced an exceptional first season in the Premier League after joining from France’s Lorient for 13 million euros. He scored 13 goals in 35 matches, figures that put him firmly in the sights of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
Bournemouth close the door
Barcelona’s ambitions collide with a firm stance from Bournemouth. Tiago Pinto, the head of football operations at the English club, called Kroupi the cornerstone of the project and refused to sell the player this summer even if the offer reached 100 million euros.
The Cherries are enjoying a remarkable year, qualifying for European competition for the first time in their history after a sixth-place finish last season under manager Andoni Iraola. That makes retaining their stars a top priority.
Moussa Sissoko, the player’s agent, denied any negotiations with Barcelona just days ago. Yet the Catalan club want to establish how final that stance really is, in a last attempt to persuade the parties involved to open the door to talks.