Bournemouth have made it clear they will not be forced into selling Eli Junior Kroupi, with the club insisting the highly-rated forward has no release clause and remains firmly under their control amid interest from Arsenal, sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk.

We understand that Kroupi’s camp are aware of the renewed interest, but the player’s focus is on regaining full fitness and rediscovering the form that made him one of the Premier League’s most talked-about young talents last season.

Arsenal are among those keen, and Kroupi is flattered by their attention, but he is not pushing for a move. With Bournemouth determined to retain their key players and the Frenchman contracted until 2030, a January departure currently looks highly complicated.

The 20-year-old joined Bournemouth from Lorient in a deal worth around £12million in the summer of 2025. Kroupi quickly established himself as an effective Premier League striker and, in 2025/26, broke the record for the most goals in a debut Premier League season by a teenager, with 13.

This season, he’s been limited to cameos off the bench as he continues to regain fitness after a pre-season foot injury, but that hasn’t deterred his suitors.

As TEAMtalk exclusively revealed last week, Arsenal have joined the chase for Kroupi as they look to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the January transfer window.

The Gunners are intent on giving Mikel Arteta greater depth and flexibility in the final third, with the club understood to be open to bringing in two attacking players this winter.

Arsenal face hurdles to January Kroupi deal

A left-sided forward and a centre-forward are both on Arsenal’s radar, with sporting director Andrea Berta working hard to identify the right profiles for Arteta.

Arsenal’s interest in Kroupi comes after an ambitious summer recruitment drive in which they explored moves for the likes of Julian Alvarez, Vinicius Junior, Morgan Rogers, Yan Diomande and Arda Guler.

However, they were unable to land those targets, with Greek forward Christos Tzolis the only one of that group to arrive.

Tzolis has impressed since joining, but Arsenal remain keen to add further quality and competition to their attacking ranks. The situation has also been influenced by concerns over Bukayo Saka, who is dealing with a thigh problem that could keep him out until January.

The indifferent form of Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres has added to the need for further attacking reinforcements, while Arsenal are also reluctant to place too much responsibility on 16-year-old Max Dowman by pushing him into a regular starting role.

Kroupi is firmly on Arsenal’s radar, and we understand the player is flattered by the interest from the Premier League champions. However, there is currently no indication that he is looking to force an exit from Bournemouth.

That makes a January deal particularly complicated and, at this stage, unlikely.

Bournemouth won’t budge on Kroupi stance

Bournemouth are under no pressure to sell the youngster, given the length of his contract and the absence of a release clause. The club are also understood to be prepared for the possibility of Alex Scott moving on in the New Year, making it even less likely that they would sanction the departures of several important players in the same window.

Kroupi is among a number of Bournemouth talents attracting attention, alongside Rayan and Marcus Tavernier. However, the Cherries are determined to retain their key options and are not expected to welcome an exodus in January.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are continuing to explore alternatives as they look to deliver the attacking reinforcements Arteta wants.

As TEAMtalk has previously revealed, Real Madrid youngster Endrick is one player being considered, along with Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz. Berta is continuing his work across several potential targets, with Arsenal determined to find the right additions rather than make signings for the sake of it.

Kroupi remains an attractive option, but with Bournemouth holding all the contractual leverage and the player focused on his own fitness and form, a move in January currently looks a difficult prospect.