Bournemouth reject €100m prospect of selling Barcelona target Eli Junior Kroupi

Bournemouth have insisted they will not sell teenage forward Eli Junior Kroupi, even if Barcelona or Liverpool make a €100m offer for the highly rated France youth international.

The 2006-born striker has attracted attention from several leading clubs after making a strong impression for Bournemouth. Barcelona’s sporting department is monitoring his progress closely, with the Catalan club considering attacking options following Robert Lewandowski’s departure, according to the Spanish newspaper Sport.

Bournemouth executive director Thiago Pinto dismissed suggestions that a substantial bid could persuade the club to part with Kroupi.

“We will not sell Kroupi even if Barcelona or Liverpool offer €100m. That is completely out of the question,” Pinto said.

Kroupi, who was born in Lorient, France, is not a conventional centre-forward. He is capable of moving across the front line and operating in several attacking positions, a versatility that has contributed to the interest in him.

The 18-year-old has been unavailable since July after suffering a metatarsal fracture, but he has now begun the process of returning to first-team action.

Bournemouth manager Marco Rose confirmed that Kroupi has rejoined group training and suggested he could feature against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Kroupi commits to France

Kroupi has also settled the question of which country he wants to represent at senior international level.

Although his family background gives him the option of playing for France, Ivory Coast or Portugal, he has chosen France as his international objective. His father has Ivorian roots, while his mother is of Portuguese descent.

Kroupi has already represented France at youth level. Former Portugal manager Roberto Martinez also revealed in May that the Portuguese Football Federation had been in contact with the player.

However, the forward said he could not see himself switching to a national team or culture with which he was unfamiliar.

“I have always played for France’s youth teams. I was born in France and started playing there too,” Kroupi told DAZN France. “I cannot see myself going to a culture I do not know. The France national team is my goal.”

His decision ends the uncertainty over his international future while Bournemouth continue to regard him as an important part of their plans, despite the interest from Barcelona and other major clubs.