La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid have reportedly set their sights on 17-year-old French sensation Eli Junior Kroupi.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Eli Junior Kroupi is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. Juni Calafat is driving Los Blancos’ scouting mission of the 17-year-old sensation. Meanwhile, the Lorient wonderkid has drawn comparisons with Kylian Mbappe with his exploits.
Eli Junior Kroupi is one of the brightest young prospects in his homeland. A native of Lorient, the French wonderkid joined his hometown club as a seven-year-old in 2013. The teenage whizkid took age-group football by storm in France, with his performances compelling pundits to draw comparisons to Kylian Mbappe.
The 17-year-old made his first-team debut towards the end of the 2022/23 season and has grown in stature this term. Kroupi has not been a regular starter thus far but has turned out seven times while managing three goals and two assists. Meanwhile, the youngster’s progress has captured the attention of high-profile clubs, including Real Madrid.
The Merengues are renowned for constantly foraying the market for youth prospects. Florentino Perez has driven this outlook, enabling Real Madrid to sign up-and-coming footballers to ensure smooth transitions from one generation to the next. The current first team consists of a young core of Eder Militao, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, and others.
Meanwhile, the Spanish giants remain in the market for young prospects, with Bryan Zaragoza recently emerging on their radar. Eli Junior Kroupi is the latest promising wonderkid to pop up on Real Madrid’s wishlist. And considering he has drawn comparisons with Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid’s interest in him is understandable.
Real Madrid will look to secure Mbappe’s services in the 2024 summer transfer window. But pursuing Kroupi makes sense, considering he is a versatile attacker who can reprise roles on the flank and centrally. With the 17-year-old French sensation showing signs of becoming a prolific attacker, he can quickly become an asset for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid’s interest in Kroup is still in its infancy, with more scouting missions likely to follow. But it will be interesting to see if he becomes a top target for the Spanish giants in the coming months.
