Is ‘accomplished finisher’ Kroupi Bournemouth’s latest hidden gem?

It seems as though Bournemouth has once more done it.

In recent seasons, The Cherries have made a happy habit of discovering hidden gems, helping Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, and Antoine Semenyo develop from young stars with proven success to established top-flight stars.

The Cherries made a total of £144.5 million from the sales of Kerkez, Huijsen, and Zabarnyi to Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Paris St-Germain, respectively, while some of those players have since made significant money moves elsewhere.

Eli Junior Kroupi’s future is still uncertain, but the young striker certainly appears to be on the right path.

The 19-year-old Frenchman scored a thunderous strike to seal Bournemouth’s 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, which moved them up to second place in the table after scoring earlier goals against Leeds and Crystal Palace.

Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt ranks as the only teenager to score more league goals overall, surpassing Kroupi’s fourth goal of the season so far.

After Sunday’s victory, Danny Murphy claimed that “he’s already an accomplished finisher.” He has only just started his position with the team, and it seems like he is already aware of what he does.

He excels in the press and on the ball, but he gets himself in good areas when Bournemouth attack.

When he made his debut for the club’s first team on the last day of the 2022-23 season at the age of just 16 years and 345 days, the Lorient academy graduate was the youngest player to do so.

In September 2023, his first goal for the Brittany outfit made him the club’s youngest scorer, surpassing Andre Ayew’s previous record set by former Swansea City, West Ham United, and Forest forward, who scored 5-3 in a defeat at Nantes.

In his team’s 3-3 draw at Lyon, Kroupi became the youngest player to score twice in a Ligue 1 game since 1974.

The teenager, who is the son of former Ivorian footballer Eli Kroupi, who won the Coupe de France with Lorient in 2002, helped the club regain its title last year, completing his final campaign in France with 23 goals in all competitions.

Kroupi has seized on his first chance to impress his new employers with an ACL torn anterior cruciate ligament (CFL), which he has accumulated over the course of his long-term absence.

Andoni Iraola, a junior, said, “Junior is a finisher.” His ability to sense opportunities is what makes him strong. His left foot and right foot both have excellent finishing skills.

He needs to improve, he says. We still want more, but he’s coming to the Premier League.

After Sunday’s spirited victory, Bournemouth fans might be forgiven for taking one or two Premier League snapshots as souvenirs.

The Cherries’ 18 points after nine games are their highest total at this point in the top flight season, surpassing the 17 they earned under Eddie Howe in 2018-19.

Only Newcastle and Arsenal have kept more clean sheets than Iraola’s side, who recorded their fourth shutout of the campaign against Forest, while their eight-game unbeaten streak is the longest in the Premier League.

They are simply delightful to watch because they are so upbeat, according to Murphy. They “defend in numbers when they have to,” but they don’t park the bus, and their goal is usually to win.

There is nothing at this time that suggests they will vanish, and they have been a breath of fresh air. They currently rank highly on merit.

However, those who regularly watch Iraola’s post-game interviews won’t have been surprised to hear the 43-year-old play down his team’s remarkable start.

He said, “It’s just a start.” The differences between teams are so small this year. It will be difficult to earn more points because we currently have [Manchester City away from home] and [Aston Villa away from home before the]international break.

Owner Bill Foley reportedly attended Vitality Stadium on Sunday ahead of discussions with Iraola about extending the Spaniard’s contract, which is set to expire at the end of the current season.

Unsurprisingly, Iraola refuses to look too far ahead.

He said, “The owner and I talk a lot. We keep in touch even when he isn’t present.