Manchester United and Liverpool are both keeping tabs on Bournemouth striker Junior Kroupi, even though the highly-rated 20-year-old is currently sidelined with a serious foot injury.
Kroupi enjoyed a breakout campaign last season and quickly emerged as one of the Premier League’s most exciting young forwards.
His performances naturally attracted attention from bigger clubs, but Bournemouth remain determined to keep him as Marco Rose builds his new-look side around a core of young talent.
Man United and Liverpool make Kroupi enquiries
According to The i, Man United and Liverpool have both made enquiries over Kroupi’s availability.
Bournemouth’s position, however, remains firm. The Cherries do not currently intend to sell players they consider central to Rose’s plans, meaning interested clubs would likely need to make a huge offer to force a rethink.
Kroupi’s injury further complicates any possible deal. The Standard reported that the forward underwent surgery after suffering a fractured metatarsal during pre-season and could be sidelined for up to four months.
That setback comes after a hugely impressive debut Premier League campaign in which Kroupi scored 13 league goals and established himself as one of Bournemouth’s most valuable young players.
Both clubs are planning for the future
The interesting part of this story is that neither Man United nor Liverpool appear to have been completely discouraged by Kroupi’s injury.
That suggests both clubs may be looking beyond an immediate transfer and viewing him as a long-term target.
For United, Kroupi would fit the club’s recent preference for younger players with significant resale value and room to develop.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are also rebuilding their attack and could see his mobility and goalscoring ability as useful for the future.
A deal this summer still looks difficult.
Bournemouth have no reason to sell cheaply, while spending a huge fee on a player facing several months out would carry obvious risk.
The smarter approach may therefore be to continue monitoring his recovery and revisit the situation once he returns.
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