Kroupi’s international future clear as Bournemouth stand firm over prized forward

Bournemouth have made it clear they will not consider selling young forward Eli Junior Kroupi, even if Barcelona or Liverpool were to submit a €100m offer.

Thiago Pinto, Bournemouth’s executive director, said the club remained fully committed to keeping the France Under- international, who has attracted interest from several leading European clubs after impressing for the Premier League side.

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

Kroupi, born in Lorient, France, in 2006, is regarded as one of the emerging talents to have made an impression in recent months. Although Barcelona’s sporting department has been monitoring his progress, the teenager is not a traditional centre-forward. He is capable of moving across a number of positions in the front line.

Barcelona’s interest has reportedly increased following the departure of Robert Lewandowski, with the Catalan club continuing to assess Kroupi’s development.

The forward has been out of action since last July after suffering a broken metatarsal. He has now started the process of returning to competitive football and has rejoined Bournemouth’s first-team training group.

Bournemouth manager Marco Rose confirmed that Kroupi was back in full training and suggested he could be involved against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Kroupi chooses France

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

Despite being eligible to play for Ivory Coast through his father and Portugal through his mother, he has chosen France. Kroupi has represented France at youth level throughout his career and said he could not see himself switching to a national 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.”

Portugal previously explored the possibility of recruiting him. Roberto Martinez, the former Portugal manager, revealed in May that the Portuguese football federation had been in contact with Kroupi.

However, those approaches have not changed the forward’s position. His international preference is now clear, with France his chosen destination despite the option of representing either of his parents’ countries of origin.