- Manchester United in race to sign Bournemouth forward
- Junior Kroupi has been labelled the ‘new Mbappe’ by former teammate
- Number of clubs interested in £50-60m star
Manchester United are closing in on Champions League qualification, and the scouts are already circling in on their next young prodigy.
It is a familiar name for the Reds, who have come up against the 19-year-old on two occasions this season.
Both times, they have been trumped by him, which is surely enough of a reason to put him on INEOS’ radar for this summer. Competition for Benjamin Sesko is a requirement if United compete in four competitions next campaign.
Red Devils Interested in Junior Kroupi
Manchester United are within touching distance of qualifying for the Champions League. This now allows them to financially plan ahead for incoming transfers and add depth to the squad.
One name on the agenda is Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi.
According to Peter O’Rourke via Football Insider, Bournemouth are prepared to sell their biggest prospect as long as the valuation matches. O’Rourke said: “Bournemouth know if the big clubs come calling, they’re going to find it really hard to keep hold of them and they will sell at the right price.”
This season, The Cherries have lost Milos Kerkez, Antoine Semenyo, Ilya Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen. Yet, they have remained competitive, sitting in 8th place just behind the European places for next season.
O’Rourke continued: “Kroupi has been a real revelation for Bournemouth this season. He scored in both meetings against Manchester United this season as well, so there’s no surprise that they will be keen. But yeah, I think you’re talking about £50-60million.”
Kroupi scored in each league fixture against United this season, both the 4-4 and 2-2 draws.
He added: “For Bournemouth, although they don’t want to lose him, if a big money offer comes in for him, I’m sure it’s something that they will sit down and consider.”
‘New Mbappe’ Comparisons
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Minutes Played |
| Premier League (2025/26) | 28 | 10 | 1,312 |
| Ligue 1 (2024/25) | 30 | 22 | 1,933 |
Tiemoue Bakayoko, who played with Kroupi at Lorient, said: “He’s a phenomenon. He reminds me a little of [Kylian] Mbappe in terms of the maturity in his game.”
Just like Mbappe, Kroupi has already broken records as a teenager. The young Frenchman has recently forced his way into an elite bracket of teenagers by scoring in double figures in a Premier League season. By doing so, he has joined some United folklore like Mason Greenwood (2019/20), Wayne Rooney (2004/05 & 2005/06), Ryan Giggs (1993/94), and Anthony Martial (2015/16) on that list.
So soon after nurturing Semenyo, the Cherries are sitting on another gold mine, and they know it. There is absolutely no rush to sell their star boy, especially with the Cherries knocking on the door of European qualification, pending a strong finish to the league. Even if a massive bid arrives, the club’s recruitment machine has already secured Rayaan as a ready-made replacement.
