Barcelona not ruling out move for Premier League striker despite injury; Laporta a big admirer

Barcelona not ruling out move for Premier League striker despite injury; Laporta a big admirer According to David Bernabeu on SPORT , FC Barcelona are still fully open to signing Bournemouth forward Eli Júnior Kroupi this summer, despite the fact that the young striker has suffered a serious injury. The physical setback will sideline the 20-year-old French attacker for an estimated period of three to four months , but the club’s management remains seemingly undeterred by the medical news. Laporta’s strong admiration The main reason Barcelona are keeping this transfer option alive is the immense personal backing of club president Joan Laporta. As per the report, Laporta likes Kroupi just as much as, or potentially even more than, their other primary transfer target, Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. Laporta is an admirer of Kroupi. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) Barcelona’s sporting department has spent weeks facing strict roadblocks in their pursuit of Alvarez, with Atletico Madrid not making things easy. Kroupi, therefore, was seen as an alternative, but Laporta seems to favour the 20-year-old French striker even more than the Argentine. A highly versatile and explosive talent who perfectly fits the high-intensity, modern style of play that head coach Hansi Flick wants to implement, it is not hard to understand why. No final decision yet The current strategy inside the club is completely clear. If Barcelona’s sporting directors and scouting staff decide that Kroupi is definitely the specific striker they want for the future, Laporta will give the green light to go for him before the summer transfer window closes despite his injury. Kroupi will be out for 3-4 months. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images) The fact that he will miss the first three to four months of the domestic and European campaign is not seen as a major deal-breaker. The Blaugrana are seemingly prepared to look past the immediate physical recovery period, viewing the player as a long-term investment rather than a quick fix for the squad. Bournemouth’s stance Before the injury occurred, Bournemouth had strongly resisted Barcelona’s initial inquiries, declaring the young forward untouchable and insisting on keeping him in the Premier League. In fact, reports in France even suggested that the Premier League club had knocked back two offers from the Blaugrana . However, the multi-month injury layoff could potentially alter the negotiation dynamics between the two clubs. For now, despite Kroupi’s injury, Barcelona are not closing the doors on him even though it was previously claimed that his €100 million valuation was considered too high .