Bayern Munich have reportedly added Bournemouth’s breakout star Eli Junior Kroupi to their shortlist after missing out on Anthony Gordon.
Kroupi, 19, is already the subject of interest from Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea after scoring 13 goals in his debut season with the Cherries.
Now Bayern are said to be keen after Barcelona beat them to the acquisition of Anthony Gordon for £69.3million from Newcastle.
Munich’s local newspaper, the Munchner Merkur, and their football arm Absolut Bayern are reporting that the club see him as an ‘alternative target’.
Junior Kroupi broke the record for the most goals by a teenager in their debut Premier League season with his 13 goals this campaign.
He arrived in the summer for a £10million fee after helping Lorient achieve promotion to the French top flight with 23 goals in all competitions.
Bayern Munich have reportedly entered the hunt for Bournemouth starlet Eli Junior Kroupi
The forward is under contract with Bournemouth until 2030.
He has won the praise of Thierry Henry, who once wanted to call him up for the France under-21s when he was just 16.
‘I’m not surprised by his development,’ Henry told Sky Sports. ‘That didn’t really work out because he hadn’t even played for the U17s, U18s or U19.
‘But when I see a player with that raw talent and that determination, I don’t care about his age.’
Junior Kroupi missed out on France’s World Cup squad but there were some who thought the youngster could sneak into Didier Deschamps’ camp.
He is a versatile player, able to play at number nine or No 10, and has developed his English well during his year in the Premier League.
Andoni Iraola said of him last month: ‘I think Junior has been a big challenge for me this season, one of the biggest challenges because we noticed straightaway that he has special things. His finishing is top for me.
‘But we had to work a lot with him and, especially, he has had to do a lot of work that he wasn’t used to to win his minutes.
‘He has become a much better player for me. I know he had a good start and scored goals but I try not to talk to him about goals because this is something which is natural and he will always have it.
‘So, I have tried to make him focus on other parts and he has improved a lot. In the past month, he has allowed us to put out a very offensive line-up because he is giving us the work rate so we can keep it all together and not suffer defensively too much.
‘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.’
