Club Doing 'Everything They Can' To Stop Tottenham Completing Deal

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in signing Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi this summer, although the Cherries are doing 'everything they can' to prevent the North London club from securing the player, according to journalist Peter O'Rourke. Kroupi scored 13 goals in his debut campaign in the Premier League after completing a switch from Lorient to the south coast of England last summer. This impressive return has sparked interest from some of the country's top clubs, including Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United. The Lilywhites have emerged as the frontrunners in the chase for the young Frenchman, although Bournemouth's reported £85 million valuation could ultimately prevent the deal from materialising. The Europa League side are intent on keeping hold of their prized possession ahead of what is set to be a historic season in their club's history. Bournemouth keen to deter Tottenham from Junior Kroupi move Spurs have emerged from a dire season firing on all cylinders in the transfer market. Sandro Tonali has joined in a mammoth £100million move, while Mateus Fernandes has signed for the North Londoners for £85million. Roberto De Zerbi has also strengthened his backline significantly, adding Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson to his ranks. Now, attention has turned to bolstering the forward line. Cody Gakpo and Savinho are targets for De Zerbi, while they also want a new centre-forward to compete with and eventually succeed the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Solanke. Kroupi is understood to be the primary target, but Bournemouth are looking to make things difficult for Spurs in their pursuit of the 20-year-old. Journalist O'Rourke told Football Insider that the Cherries are doing 'everything they can' to keep hold of the number nine. “Kroupi is somebody that they’re [Spurs] definitely interested in, whether they can pull it off or not, it’s going to be very difficult, there’s no doubt about that," he said. “Bournemouth are doing everything they can to keep hold of the player. They’ve put a huge price tag on his head as well.” Tottenham need to be careful in Junior Kroupi pursuit Multiple reports suggest that £85million is the sum Spurs will have to stump up to land Kroupi. While this would be a reasonable fee in the context of this market for the most promising young striker available, Tottenham need to be careful in their pursuit of the former Lorient man. By all accounts, Bournemouth are desperate not to lose the youngster in this window. This desperation could ultimately be reflected in the asking price, which could easily rise above the £85million mark in reality. At somewhere between £90million and £100million, this move becomes a huge risk for Spurs. While Kroupi has shown glimpses of brilliance, there is no guarantee that he will develop into a superstar striker. This potential fee reflects a nailed-on generational striker — something Kroupi simply cannot be considered as, just yet.