Arsenal are preparing to step up their pursuit of Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi in January, although Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are threatening to turn the race for the 20-year-old into one of the winter window’s biggest transfer battles.

Mikel Arteta wants another top-level forward as Arsenal attempt to compete for both the Premier League and Champions League, and Kroupi remains high on the club’s shortlist after an outstanding breakthrough campaign in England.

Arsenal want Kroupi in January

According to the Mirror, Arsenal want to make an attacking addition in January, with Kroupi among Arteta’s preferred targets.a

Bournemouth are reluctant to sell halfway through the season, while Bayern and PSG are also monitoring his situation.

Arsenal continue to admire Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz as well, but strengthening the central attacking positions is understood to be Arteta’s priority.

Kroupi scored 13 Premier League goals in his debut season, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards before a serious foot injury interrupted his progress.

Bournemouth reportedly value him at around £80million, while PSG have previously shown strong interest.

Arsenal’s interest is long-standing. The Gunners regard Kroupi as a major long-term attacking target despite his injury setback, with Liverpool and Manchester United also monitoring him.

The youngster has earned major praise at Bournemouth. Former Cherries midfielder Joe Partington described him as one of “the world’s best teenage goalscorers”, while highlighting his movement, finishing technique and ability to score different types of goals.

Kroupi could be worth the January gamble

Kroupi fits Arsenal’s recruitment model extremely well.

He is young, already proven in the Premier League and capable of operating centrally or from wider positions. His finishing ability would also give Arteta another genuine penalty-box threat without forcing the club to abandon its preference for younger players with significant development potential.

The difficulty is Bournemouth.

They have no urgent reason to sell, and competition from Bayern and PSG means Arsenal are unlikely to secure a bargain. Waiting until summer could make negotiations easier, but it could also allow Kroupi’s price to rise further.

That leaves Arsenal with a difficult decision.

If Arteta genuinely sees Kroupi as a long-term cornerstone of his attack, moving aggressively in January could make sense even at a premium price.

At 20, with 13 Premier League goals already behind him, Kroupi is not simply a prospect anymore. He is beginning to look like a player capable of helping Arsenal immediately while still offering enormous upside for the future.