Barcelona have suffered a heavy blow in their pursuit of a new striker during the current summer transfer window.
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski left Barcelona at the end of last season, and the club linked Argentine Julian Alvarez, the Atletico Madrid forward, as his successor for next season.
Atletico rejected any idea of parting with their Argentine striker, so the Catalans turned their attention elsewhere. Their choice fell on France’s Eli Junior Kroupi, the Bournemouth forward.
Bournemouth refused to let Kroupi go. Then came the real setback: an injury that will keep him off the pitch for a long time.
The Athletic reported that Kroupi suffered a foot injury during pre-season training in Austria, before returning to England for the necessary medical examinations.
Those examinations revealed the 20-year-old needed surgery. He has already gone under the knife today, Wednesday, confirming his absence for a period ranging from three to four months.
Kroupi will not return to training until October or November this year. He will miss a large part of the season, and that complicates his move to a new club.
The French striker delivered impressive performances for Bournemouth after joining from Lorient last summer, featuring in 35 matches and scoring 13 goals.
Those goals helped Bournemouth qualify for the Europa League, having finished sixth in the Premier League under Spanish coach Andoni Iraola. Germany’s Marco Rose has since succeeded Iraola, who moved to Liverpool.