How Tottenham can end up with their very own Kylian Mbappe after 'phenomenon' transfer news
Tottenham Hotspur could be signing a player in Eli Junior Kroupi that would bring a bit of Kylian Mbappe-esque style to N17.
Spurs have been widely and strongly linked with securing the services of the Bournemouth forward, who enjoyed an impressive debut 2025-26 season with the Cherries.
The 20-year-old moved to the Vitality Stadium in February last year, but would be instantly loaned back out to his selling club Lorient for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
Kroupi was born in Lorient, and joined the French sides' academy system at an early age, before eventually turning professional with them in the summer of 2022.
His talent and potential has long been known in France, having represented Les Blues from Under-16 to Under-21 level.
And so, after netting 13 Premier League goals in 33 games for Bournemouth last term, the youngster now looks set for the biggest transfer of his career so far this summer, and Tottenham could be his destination.
Tiemoue Bakayoko pinpoints Eli Junior Kroupi trait he shares with Kylian Mbappe
Nowadays, it seems as though there's more young players than ever starring for top teams at the top level than ever before.
Fans no longer bat an eyelid when they see teenagers lighting up world football's top leagues or shining on the international stage; it's become the norm.
One of the best young players to rise to the top of the game in recent times has been Mbappe, who currently as a World Cup win and golden boot on his mind with France.
The now-27-year-old Real Madrid star will now always see his name being attached to emerging French forwards, as media and fans alike ponder who the next version of him will be.
Speaking in an October 2023 interview with the Ligue 1 website via Get French Football News, Bakayoko - then teammates with Kroupi at Lorient - said of the Tottenham-linked forward: "He's a phenomenon.
"He reminds me a little of Kylian Mbappe in terms of the maturity of his game. He already has good stats for a youngster his age."
Bakayoko isn't Kroupi's only ex-teammate to have talked up his ability either, with Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo doing the same in a recent May 2026 interview via the Irish Examiner.
“Sometimes he comes back to Lorient to visit. We talk a bit, we exchange messages. He says he’s having fun in the Premier League and that it’s the best league in the world," Mvogo said.
"I asked him: ‘What’s your secret? How are you doing so well in your first season?’ He doesn’t know himself. I think he is just enjoying himself. He is gifted – he has something you cannot learn in a soccer school.”
The latest on Tottenham's pursuit of Kroupi
Having already made six new signings so far this summer, Tottenham are not playing around in the transfer market.
Spurs chiefs are putting their money where their mouth is, and look determined to back Roberto De Zerbi as much as they possibly can to really start driving the team in the right direction.
One area of the squad that hasn't been bolstered yet is the forward line, but that would all change if Kroupi signs on in N17.
Alex Crook, as detailed in a report from talkSPORT, has on Monday claimed that Tottenham are preparing an £85million offer for Kroupi, despite Bournemouth taking the stance that he's not for sale.
"Tottenham and Kroupi seems to be bubbling under," Crook said, whilst bitter North London rivals Arsenal are also said to be monitoring Kroupi's situation as well.