Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi will be sidelined for at least three months after undergoing surgery for a broken metatarsal, the club confirmed. The injury occurred during the team's pre-season training camp in Austria, forcing the 20-year-old to return to England for the procedure.
Kroupi had emerged as a significant talent last season following his transfer from Lorient. He netted 13 goals in his debut Premier League campaign, setting a new record for the most goals scored by a teenager in their first season in the league, surpassing previous benchmarks set by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane. His performances had reportedly attracted the attention of several high-profile European clubs, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Tottenham, and Manchester City.
Despite the transfer speculation, Bournemouth has stated that Kroupi is not for sale. The club is also reportedly determined to keep hold of Alex Scott, who is a target for Chelsea and Manchester United, as they aim to build a competitive squad under new coach Marco Rose.
In related team news, Patrick Eibenberger has been appointed as a first-team coach to join Marco Rose's staff. Eibenberger previously worked with Rose at Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Red Bull Salzburg before leaving his role at RB Leipzig. Other confirmed members of Rose's coaching team include assistant head coach Marco Kurth, assistant coach Frank Geideck, technical coach Fabian Friedrich, and goalkeeping coach Frederic De Boever.