Chelsea and Tottenham are open to exploring a late move for Loreint’s teenage attacker, Eli Junior Kroupi, who is rated at £30 million this month.
According to Football Insider, Eli Junior Kroupi has emerged as a late window target for London giants Chelsea and Tottenham. The two Premier League sides are looking to add a young attacker to the mix, as they are likely to explore a late move for the Lorient teenager, valued at £30 million by the French club.
Chelsea and Tottenham are two of the teams in the Premier League with a recent track record of signing some exceptional young talents for their first team. Spurs managed to bring Lucas Bergwall and Archie Gray, with the duo excelling in Ange Postecoglou’s senior squad, as they are keen on more.
Chelsea have adopted a newfound policy of signing some of the best young profiles from across the world. Their extended scouting network enables them to target top young talents who are close to breaking into the first-team mould. For instance, they are chasing Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, among other targets, as they remain intent on landing a promising young star this month.
The two London giants are now chasing a player excelling in Ligue 2 with Lorient. Eli Junior Kroupi has been excellent this season for the French second-division side, scoring nine times and assisting twice in all competitions. He had previously encountered the interest of Real Madrid and Barcelona, as Chelsea and Tottenham now prepare to explore a late move in this window.
Lorient are not overly eager to lose him this month as they are currently leading the Ligue 2 table and are favourites to gain promotion to the top division. The 18-year-old French attacking prodigy’s current deal expires in the summer of 2026, as they might be realistically prepared to sell him next summer.
Lorient wants £30 million for Eli Junior Kroupi
Lorient will not realistically charge £30 million for the forward had it been the summer window. However, the feeling is about the lateness of this January window in which big clubs are coming in with an interest. Keeping Kroupi would be a good move for the French side as the 18-year-old French attacking prodigy can help them gain promotion to Ligue 1.
Moreover, there might not be enough time to find a viable replacement for the teenager. Hence, Lorient are inclined to ask for a premium price to sell their prolific attacker. However, the interest from Chelsea or Tottenham is likely to turn the player’s head towards a move to the Premier League.
