AFC Bournemouth bought Eli Junior Kroupi from FC Lorient on winter deadline day and loaned him back to the French club until the end of the season.
The Premier League team signed him until 2030, but his immediate concentration is on Lorient.
Ouest-France explains how the 18-year-old’s transfer to Bournemouth was completed.
The French club leads the Ligue 2 table, three points ahead of second-placed Paris FC. The forward returned on loan because he wanted to help Lorient return to the top league.
Eli Junior Kroupi’s transfer to Bournemouth was completed minutes before the window closed. According to sources close to him, the case became ‘heated’ in the conclusion, but the France U19 international remained ‘cool’.
According to the newspaper, the operation was at its ‘hottest’ in the final seconds since Lorient needed to replenish their coffers. The two clubs bargained throughout deadline day, but there was still doubt until the finish.
Bournemouth finally completed the signing for €20 million plus bonuses. Their owner, Bill Foley, who has a minority ownership at Lorient, may have played a role in this agreement.
Eli Junior Kroupi’s mother, Sandrine, has stated that the sporting idea provided by Andoni Iraola’s team would have persuaded him to sign with them.
“It’s a fantastic sporting project. He’s been a fan of the Premier League for a long time, and it was always his ambition to play in it,” she explained.
The player has made it obvious that he wants to help Lorient return to Ligue 1. Ouest-France claims that promotion would be a ‘wonderful gift’ for the French club before he travels to Bournemouth in the summer.
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