Kroupi signing sets up make-or-break campaign for €70m Arsenal star

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Arsenal’s Premier League title was sealed by a goal from Eli Junior Kroupi, who is being targeted by the Gunners in the summer transfer window, putting Eberechi Eze under threat just a year after arriving at the club.

Arteta has made signing an attacker a “priority” for the summer transfer window, and even with Bournemouth having placed a record €92 million (£80m) price tag on the head of the 19-year-old, Kroupi is seen as a viable target.

The performance of the former Lorient forward has been nothing short of exceptional. He has netted 13 goals in his 32 Premier League games, which is a record for a teenager in their debut season in the competition.

Interest also comes from Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid, making the young forward one to watch as the summer approaches.

Arsenal’s logic for signing Kroupi is clear: he can perform the same roles as Eze. Now it’s up to the €70 million man to show whether the teenager is a support for him or his replacement.

Eze and Kroupi in 2025/26

Eze has enjoyed a solid but unspectacular debut season with Arsenal since arriving in a €70m deal. However, a return of seven goals and two assists in the Premier League was disappointing given that five of these came against relegation-threatened Tottenham.

But while his raw numbers look worrisome, data analytics firm SciSports put his statistical performance up there with the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.

Arteta, too, seems to have valued his contribution. Eze has started the last five Premier League games, operating in Arsenal’s problem left wing role and as an attacking midfielder.

Kroupi’s impact on the Premier League has been more profound. After joining as a prospect from Lorient, he finished the season on 13 goals, scoring five times in his last seven games as Bournemouth reached Europe for the first time.

While his goal return is impressive, he has based his game on Neymar and prefers to operate just behind a central striker. This is also the position that Eze would likely want to occupy at Arsenal.

Junior Kroupi: Competition for Eze or his replacement?

Kroupi signing for Arsenal would immediately call into question the long-term future of Eze. While there is little danger of him being sold in the summer, he would be unlikely to survive another season in which he scored in only four league fixtures. A reckoning is, therefore, down the highway.

Just how closely related Kroupi and Eze are in footballing terms is demonstrated by SciSports. The similarity between the styles of the players is placed at over 95%.

To put this into perspective, there is no other player in Arteta’s ranks 60% similar to Eze currently. He is unique – at least for the moment.

Kroupi joining, on the other hand, could mean one of two things as far as Eze is concerned: he is either being provided with competition for his role in the team or he is being replaced.

It may well be that Arsenal have not decided which of these two options it is. Instead, Arteta could be willing to give the situation a season to see how the situation plays out.

Splashing out on Kroupi would, regardless, be seen as a huge sign of intent from Arsenal that they are not prepared to simply sit on their success, but are instead looking to the future with the arrival of the Premier League’s breakout star of the season. Eze, though, should be looking over his shoulder.