Arsenal: Junior Kroupi could be ‘marquee signing’ this summer as talks ‘well advanced’
Arsenal are targeting Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi this summer as Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andre Berta have been told they can make one ‘marquee signing’.
The Gunners secured their first Premier League title in 22 years on Tuesday night and it was Kroupi who delivered the telling blow as the teenager scored his 13th goal of the season in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
The beautiful curled finish into the top corner of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s net was a timely reminder of the 19-year-old’s quality ahead of a summer transfer window in which plenty of big clubs will be chasing his signature.
In denying City the title, Kroupi also broke the league record held by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane for the most goals scored by a teenager in a debut season and The Guardian have now confirmed that he’s a ‘target’ for Arsenal, who are ‘well advanced with plans to strengthen the squad’ have ‘the funds in place to make a marquee signing to rival the purchase of Declan Rice for a then-British record £105m in 2023’.
While Kroupi is unlikely to cost that much, interest from Real Madrid and Chelsea – both of whom have scouted the Frenchman – could spark a bidding war to see Bournemouth land more than their £80m valuation.
The report claims that ‘there is unlikely to be the same outlay on players as the £250m Arsenal spent last summer’ but co-chairs, Stan and Josh Kroenke, vowed in their programme notes ahead of the win over Burnley that ‘there will be no standing still when the season ends’.
Kroupi is ‘regarded as an option for the left of Arsenal’s attack as someone who could compete with Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres for a central role’.
A new forward is said to be Arteta’s ‘priority’ this summer with Gabriel Martinelli ‘allowed to leave if a suitable offer arrived’.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would be the ‘dream signing’ but the Ligue 1 giants are very unlikely to be open to his sale and while there is ‘strong interest’ in Julián Alvarez, Atletico Madrid may be asking for too high a price for the Argentina international.
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‘Significant boost’ for Alvarez chase
But our friends at TEAMtalk have revealed a ‘significant boost’ for the Gunners in their chase of Alvarez.
With the asking price almost certain to hit nine figures, TEAMtalk insist that Atletico Madrid ‘would be open to considering player-plus-cash proposals’, while Arsenal, for their part, would also be ‘open’ to including Gabriel Martinelli to sweeten the deal.
PSG were previously thought to be the frontrunners to land Alvarez but Arsenal are now ‘firmly in the race’ with the summer fast approaching.
