Chelsea are on the hunt for a new attacker this summer, and are targeting a move to sign Bournemouth star Eli Junior Kroupi.
It became clear that the Blues need more quality in attack after they struggled to provide enough in the frontline, with new signings Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens unable to contribute.
The club have a desire to add Premier League proven talent to their ranks, which explains the early interest in Granit Xhaka and Maxence Lacroix.
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Xabi Alonso has attracted Eli Junior Kroupi to possible Chelsea move
The fact Chelsea have been able to convince Alonso to join the club is working as a positive for them in the transfer market, after he played a key role in the Marco Palestra hijack,
Kroupi’s brilliance has put him firmly on Chelsea’s radar, although they face competition from a number of elite sides for his signature.
However, Simon Phillips has reported that Chelsea actually have a chance at completing the signing due to the arrival of Alonso as the club’s manager.
He said on his Substack: “Chelsea have been putting the feelers out to his agent to see if a move is possible this summer, with the 20-year-old looked upon favourably by Chelsea decision makers as being the perfect profile to what they are looking at for this hybrid attacking role.
“Kroupi is believed to dream of a move to PSG. However, one source has confirmed that they have been open in talks with Chelsea initially due to Xabi Alonso’s arrival at the club, so something could be possible there.”
Few young players have had the impact in England that Kroupi managed in his first season at Bournemouth. He managed 13 goals in the 2025/26 league campaign.
PSG may not be as much of a concern after they seem to have decided that Yan Diomande is their dream signing this summer, already agreeing personal terms with the World Cup star.
At 20 years of age, Kroupi would still fit into the club’s long-standing desire to bring in young players, but also satisfy supporters that they are signing talent which can make an immediate impact on their side.
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Chelsea’s £50m Kroupi mistake
It has been reported that Bournemouth have placed an £80m price tag on their attacker should any side want to bring him in this summer.
This will be particularly damning for Chelsea after they were offered the chance to sign him for £30m, when the Cherries took the punt on the youngster.
The Blues have been accused of overpaying for talents before, and will need to be able to justify any signing they make for big money with PSR issues looming over them.
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