Meet Tottenham’s answer to Eli Junior Kroupi

It is just five weeks since Tottenham Hotspur confirmed their status as a Premier League team.

After beating Everton 1-0 on the final day of the season, everyone associated with the club breathed a huge sigh of relief. By the skin of the teeth, they had survived.

How times have changed since then. For any normal club who finished 17th they would not be able to spend over £200m on new players. However, Spurs are behaving like big boys for the first time in a while.

The £100m deal to sign Sandro Tonali defies belief, as does the £85m shelled out to bring Mateus Fernandes from east to north London from West Ham.

Yet, the Lilywhites are not stopping there. After signing two midfielder, attentions have turned to the forward line and in particular, Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi.

Why Spurs want to sign Kroupi

With Spurs having explored moves for the likes of Savinho and Rafael Leao already this summer, there is clear intent to strengthen every single position possible.

Roberto De Zerbi must have been promised the earth if he kept the Lilywhites in the division because the lengths they have gone to to bolster the squad is remarkable.

While Savinho and Leao would be exciting signings, they would not top a move for Kroupi. The Frenchman is being monitored by a host of Europe’s top clubs, including Arsenal and Liverpool but it is Spurs who could win the race for this one too.

On Wednesday night it was revealed that not only were Tottenham looking at a possible deal, but they had scheduled talks with the player’s camp and he is keen to join them. Wouldn’t that be a turn up for the books, eh? It’s just a pity it may take as much as £90m to sign him.

So, why is the youngster so coveted. Well, the 19-year-old has taken to life in English football like a duck to water. After joining Bournemouth from Lorient a year ago, he scored 13 goals in the top-flight.

It’s not a jaw-dropping tally sure, but it’s highly impressive for a teenager. After all, no teen has ever scored more goals across their debut Premier League season than him.

He’s ruthless in front of goal, he’s quick and he’s versatile, capable of playing on the flanks too.

For those worrying this could be a Dominic Solanke repeat, fear not, Kroupi has the potential to be one of the finest centre-forwards in Europe in due course. Daniel Sturridge has already declared that he is “one of the best finishers in the Premier League.”

However, might Spurs already have their own version lying in wait?

Spurs have their own Junior Kroupi to be unleashed

The reason Spurs’ work in the transfer window so far this summer has been extra impressive is the fact that in recent years, their recruitment has left plenty to be desired.

That said, if there is one good thing to emerge from it all, it’s the young players at their disposal. Tottenham have already made a hefty profit on Luka Vuskovic, selling him to Brighton to the tune of £50m. Lucas Bergvall could also be sold for a big profit, thought to be worth around the same amount. Archie Gray has also risen to prominence over the last year.

Then, you have the academy lads. While Luca Williams-Barnett is yet to truly explode into life in the senior setup, there are great hopes for him. There are also big expectations for Mikey Moore, who after a productive loan spell at Rangers, is back at Hotspur Way and is waiting to see what the future holds for him in 2026/27.

The likelihood is that the 18-year-old heads back out on loan with the Ibrox club exploring a move once again. They would love to bring him back to Glasgow for one more year.

In Scotland, the teenager ended the season with seven goals and four assists. Not a bad tally and he only got better as the campaign played out.

Moore has long been tipped for greatness. Scout Jacek Kulig described him as “the English Neymar” in May 2024 while James Maddison even had a similar comparison to make after one of the forward’s spritely cameos in Europe.

The youngster is yet to truly explode at Spurs just yet, but this is a player with plenty of similarities to the aforementioned Kroupi, not just positionally but also stylistically.

Speaking in 2024 about internal solutions at Spurs, Como scout Ben Mattinson noted the following: “Spurs need someone who can play across many positions and can provide moments of magic. Maddison offers this, but with this age and injury record, they need to not be over-reliant on him and have others who offer a similar spark in attack to make things tick. Mikey Moore offers exactly this. With the depth to play off the left, as a #10, behind the #9 as a second striker, wherever you put him, Moore’s intelligence shines.”

Well, that sounds a lot like Kroupi. At Lorient during 2024/25, he bagged seven goals in six games as a left winger. For Bournemouth last term, the Frenchman netted seven in 19 as the central striker and six in 16 while playing as a second striker/attacking midfielder. He’s cut from a similar cloth as Moore when it comes to versatility.

They also have similar attributes. Both quick, tidy in tight spaces and a genuine nightmare for defenders, perhaps Spurs could save the best part of £90m here and investment in Moore’s future instead.