It may not be top of mind now, but Liverpool will soon turn its focus to the transfer window. With Mohamed Salah on his way out and Hugo Ekitiké on the long-term injured list, adding an attacking piece this summer should be a priority. 

That was their approach to the previous summer transfer window with the additions of Ekitiké, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Many may rightfully feel that the approach failed the club this season. That said there’s a rising talent who is on their radar for good reason.

Junior Kroupi’s footballing rise

It was evident early into his career that Junior Kroupi was destined for great things. The Lorient academy product made his first professional appearance with the senior team on June 3, 2023. In doing so, he became the youngest player for the Brittany side to appear in a Ligue 1 fixture, surpassing Mattéo Gunedouzi.

While that was his only appearance that season, he made a strong enough impression on then-manager Régis Le Bris, who saw his talent and used him a lot in 2023-24. His movement and intelligence was evident. He made 30 appearances domestically for Les Merlus over that campaign, scoring five times.

Although they were relegated to Ligue 2 that season, Junior’s contributions in the second tier in the following campaign ensured the club wouldn’t stay there too long. The Lorient-born attacker led Ligue 2 with 22 goals in 2024-25 as Olivier Pantaloni’s men returned to the top-flight.

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Junior Kroupi’s stock has risen at Bournemouth

His contributions with Lorient drew the attention of numerous Premier League clubs. In the end, Bournemouth inked the youngster for an estimated £10 million initially.

This season, we’ve seen him flourish with the Cherish under Andoni Iraola’s setup. The club’s investment in him has paid off with the striker netting 10 times this season. His performances and worldly goals are capturing the attention of other clubs. Despite only being a teenager, he appears to be a player ahead of his time and arguably the best young star in the Premier League this season.

His performances earned him a lengthy commitment at Bournemouth, with the team extending him until 2029-30. That hasn’t deterred bigger clubs, it seems to enquire about his services.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are all said to be interested in the 19-year-old. Arsenal and Real Madrid are also apparently in the mix, per reports.

As valuable as Kroupi has been to the Cherries, their model is to develop players and sell them for big money; case in point: Milos Kerkez, Nathan Aké, and Antoine Semenyo, to name a few.

Junior Kroupi brings plenty to the table

The scary part about Junior Kroupi is that it feels like there’s still room for him to grow. Given his skill set, that’s bound to be worrisome for teams who have to play against him.

At Bournemouth, he’s shown to be an instinctive and elite scorer, who excels at one-touch finishes, who can find the back of the net from tight angles and long range. Of players in the top five leagues this season, only Lamine Yamal has netted more times than Kroupi so far.

While there is work to do on his aerial game, he’s got pace, finishing and versatility that is incredibly strong for his age.

Junior Kroupi would fit in well at Liverpool

Given the campaign Kerkez has had, there might be some Reds’ fans a little hesitant for the team to have a go at signing Kroupi. One shouldn’t be concerned about that, as he’s not only a completely different profile than the Hungarian but his age suggests that he’s bound to continue to thrive, learn, and evolve his game.

Caught Offside reports that there is concrete interest from the Reds for the Frenchman when the transfer window opens. According to sources, Bournemouth would be looking for a fee of around £55-60 million before considering moving him. Given his age and what he’s already done in the English top-flight, that would seem like a bargain.

Kroupi can operate as a lone striker or out on the wing usually in a 4-2-3-1 setup at Bournemouth. That would align exactly with Liverpool’s current formation and what it would likely remain or something close to it even if Arne Slot is sacked this summer.

Another appealing quality for Reds fans to like is his knack for scoring against one of Liverpool’s bitter rivals. This season, Kroupi became only the fourth player under 20 to score both home and away against Manchester United in the Premier League. The others were Nicolas Anelka, Jermain Defoe and Matty Longstaff.