Bournemouth Slam Door Shut on Kroupi Exit Despite Spurs and Arsenal Interest

Tottenham's summer spending spree shows no signs of slowing down, but there's one target who will remain frustratingly out of reach. Bournemouth have categorically ruled out selling Eli Junior Kroupi, despite mounting interest from north London and beyond.

The Cherries' stance comes as Spurs continue their aggressive transfer campaign under Roberto De Zerbi. After breaking their transfer record with Mateus Fernandes' £85m arrival on Thursday, Tottenham are about to smash it again—Sandro Tonali's move is imminent at £100m, with £92.5m upfront and £7.5m in add-ons. When you factor in Jan Paul van Hecke's addition, that's £237m spent on just three players.

Forward reinforcements remain a priority for the north London side. Savinho, Cody Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville are all confirmed targets, and the 20-year-old Kroupi—who can play centrally or on the left wing—has also caught their eye. Last season, the French teenager bagged 13 Premier League goals in his debut campaign, a haul that's understandably attracted admirers.

Arsenal have circled too, having struck out in their pursuit of Julian Alvarez. The Manchester City man has made it clear that if he leaves Atletico Madrid, Barcelona is his only destination. PSG are another suitor, emboldened by their €74m sale of Goncalo Ramos to AC Milan plus add-ons.

Reports suggested Bournemouth were demanding £80m for Kroupi, a figure Tottenham appeared willing to meet. The narrative gained further traction when news broke that the Cherries were close to landing Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche for £25m including add-ons—seemingly a replacement for their prized asset.

But Bournemouth have now put pen to paper on their actual decision: Kroupi isn't going anywhere.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge made the club's position crystal clear on social media. "Spurs one of several clubs interested in Eli Junior Kroupi of Bournemouth but any deal is considered highly unlikely," he wrote. "Bournemouth have no need to sell, want Marco Rose to have the strongest squad possible in his first season and would take an astronomical figure to even to consider anything."

A source close to the situation offered a telling quip when asked about the mounting speculation: "Who isn't interested in him?"

Fellow Sky journalist Mark McAdam reinforced the message, emphasising that Rodriguez's arrival is not a precursor to Kroupi's departure. "Bournemouth have no need to sell and Bill Foley wants Marco Rose to have the strongest squad possible in his first season. It would take an astronomical figure to even to consider a sale."

In other words, Spurs and Arsenal can keep looking elsewhere.