Tottenham Hotspur has been the most aggressive team in the Premier League this summer. And that’s not something you hear often about a club that nearly got relegated last season. They survived on the final day with a 1-0 win over Everton, and now they’re acting like a team that got a second life they don’t plan to waste.
The latest name on their list? Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, the 20-year-old French forward who broke the Premier League record for most goals by a teenager last season. He put up 13 goals in his first full campaign after arriving from Lorient for just £10 million. That deal looks like a heist now.
TEAMtalk reports that Spurs are preparing to submit a £75 million bid for Kroupi. Bournemouth is believed to value him closer to £100 million, but there’s confidence in North London that £75 million will at least force the Cherries to the table. Kroupi can play across the front line, which makes him attractive to basically every top club in Europe. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Barcelona, Real Madrid — they’re all watching.
Tottenham already pulled off one hijack this window, snatching Mateus Fernandes from under United’s nose. West Ham’s Fernandes was reportedly leaning toward Old Trafford before Spurs came in with an £85 million bid and a better wage offer. United pivoted to Chelsea’s Andrey Santos instead. Now they’re eyeing another deal that could beat the Red Devils to a target: Crysencio Summerville, also of West Ham, is INEOS’ top choice on the left wing. But Spurs are reportedly in that race too.
Kroupi’s agent, Moussa Sissoko (no, not that one), has pushed back on rumors that personal terms are already agreed with any club. “We are still discussing his future. We’ll see what happens in the coming days; at the moment there is no final decision,” he said. That’s agent-speak for: keep the bids coming.
For United, the question is whether they can afford to let another young star slip to a domestic rival. Kroupi fits the profile of the “young icon” INEOS wants to build around at Old Trafford, per team sources. He’s also the kind of player who could solve two problems at once — he can play on the wing or as a center forward, and United need both. Summerville is valued at £50 million by West Ham, and an upgrade on Joshua Zirkzee up front won’t come cheap either. Kroupi might cost more upfront but covers more ground.
Tottenham has been the aggressor so far, and it’s working. They’ve already locked up deals for Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, and Andy Robertson at the back, plus those record-breaking midfield offers. De Zerbi wants a new spine, and he’s getting it. If they land Kroupi too, it’s a statement that this isn’t the same Tottenham everyone wrote off in May.
Bournemouth hasn’t said yes to anything yet. But the offer is coming. Marcus Tavernier’s injury last month probably doesn’t help the Cherries’ negotiating position either.
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