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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Alex Young

Andoni Iraola has sent transfer message to Eli Junior Kroupi as 'Liverpool and Arsenal learn asking price'

Bournemouth have slapped an eye-watering asking price on Eli Junior Kroupi amid reported interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

The teenager has enjoyed a remarkable rise to prominence this season, following a £10million move from Lorient last summer, notching 13 goals in his first year in English football.

Such form has reportedly attracted Liverpool and the London rivals, along with PSG who are said to want to bring the French forward back to Ligue 1 to bolster their fearsome attack.

With manager Andoni Iraola swapping Dean Court for Anfield last week, it has been suggested that the new Liverpool boss will want to bring Kroupi with him.

But, Iraola has already expressed a hope that Kroupi stays put on the south coast.

Eli Junior Kroupi (Getty Images)
Eli Junior Kroupi (Getty Images)

"Junior has been a big challenge for me this season, one of the biggest challenges because we noticed straightaway that he has special things," Iraola said in April.

"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 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.

This is the best place for him to continue his evolution

Andoni Iraola on Eli Kroupi Junior

"He has a high ceiling but I think this is the best place for him to continue his evolution."

Should Kroupi look to leave, he will not come cheap.

Amid suggestions that the young striker would prefer a move back to France, publication Foot Mercato claimed that the Cherries were demanding around £86million (100m euros).

It could be looked at as an attempt to ward off potential suitors.

But the news gets worse for Arsenal & Co., as The i Paper have since reported that Bournemouth are looking for more than £100m to sell Kroupi this summer.

It remains to be seen if any interested club is ready to cough up, or if Kroupi listens to his former manager's advice and passes up a summer move.

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