The backline and midfield unit have been bolstered significantly this summer at Tottenham Hotspur, but who’s going to be the man to lead the charge through the middle?
Roberto De Zerbi‘s current centre-forward options leave a lot to be desired, with Dominic Solanke scoring just 12 Premier League goals in the last two seasons, while Richarlison has chipped in with just 27 since arriving in 2022.
Considering that the pair joined for a combined fee north of £120m, that simply isn’t up to par, ensuring that Spurs have to get it right with regard to the next striker signing in north London.
By all accounts, that might well be Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, the 20-year-old potentially set to be the next big-money move in the centre-forward market.
How Kroupi compared to Premier League striker signings last season
Midfield is the priority at present, but a year ago, almost every Premier League outfit went big on a new striker, and to varying degrees of success at that.
Viktor Gyokeres did play his part in Arsenal’s title success, having led the scoring charts for the Gunners with 14 league goals, a tally notably matched by Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while bettered by Chelsea’s Joao Pedro.
Kroupi, on 13 goals, wasn’t far behind following his own arrival in England in 2025, the then-teenager joining from Lorient after hitting 22 Ligue 2 goals the previous season.
Elsewhere, both Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike reached double figures for Manchester United and Liverpool, respectively, although injury and fitness woes reduced £125m man, Alexander Isak, to a lowly tally of three league goals.
In terms of goals per 90 compared to Premier League players in general, Kroupi ranked third, behind only Will Osula and Erling Haaland, proving such an effective impact player for the Cherries.
|
Premier League 25/26 – Goals per 90 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Goals P90 |
Goals |
|
Haaland |
0.82 |
27 |
|
Osula |
0.78 |
7 |
|
Kroupi |
0.70 |
13 |
|
Sesko |
0.61 |
11 |
|
Thiago |
0.60 |
22 |
|
Gyokeres |
0.57 |
14 |
|
Chiesa |
0.57 |
2 |
|
Flemming |
0.56 |
11 |
|
Malen |
0.56 |
4 |
|
Ekitike |
0.55 |
11 |
Kroupi also only missed three ‘big chances’, while the likes of Gyokeres and Calvert-Lewin missed 13 and 20, respectively, despite only slightly bettering the younger man’s goal tally.
Bournemouth, evidently, secured a bargain with their £12m man, with reports indicating that he could now fetch as much as £90m.
He does appear worth the investment from a Spurs perspective, although could De Zerbi not secure a bargain of his own instead?
How Spurs could sign “one of the best strikers in the world”
Kroupi appears keen to join the north Londoners this summer, with the more pressing issue likely to be finding an agreement over a transfer fee, with the Cherries unlikely to cash in on the cheap.
With rival interest also mounting, De Zerbi and co do appear to be lining up potential alternatives, with Dusan Vlahovic one man said to be on the agenda.
As noted by TEAMtalk, the Serbian is said to be a ‘backup option’ for Spurs, should they lose out on Kroupi, with the towering striker currently a free agent after leaving Juventus last month.
The 26-year-old failed to agree on a new deal with the Turin outfit, hence why he is now up for grabs on a free, with there an opportunity for any suitor to strike a bargain with his signature.
Indeed, while perhaps not seen enough on a consistent basis, Vlahovic is still “one of the best strikers in the world“, in the view of Italy great Luca Toni, having been such a force in Serie A for so long now.
Kroupi is a man on the rise having scored 13 Premier League goals last time out, after his Ligue 2 heroics the year prior, yet he doesn’t boast the same body of work as Vlahovic as yet.
A powerhouse of a striker at 6 foot 4, the left-footer at his best is such a weapon, a man capable of the spectacular when fit and firing.
Last season did see him start just 11 Serie A games due to injury, although the Juve powerhouse still scored seven times, enjoying a particularly prolific end to the campaign.
Having been in Italy since the 2018/19 season, the ex-Fiorentina man hit double figures for league goals in every year between the start of 2020/21 until 2024/25, his best coming in 2021/22 after netting 24 league goals.
His record in Serie A in general is superb, having hit 94 in 221 games, while also across all competitions, he’s scored 68 in 168 for Juventus and 49 in 108 in Florence.
With 16 in just 41 at international level too, this is a man who has proven his quality over an extended period now, perhaps simply in need of a fresh start after so long at the Allianz Stadium.
Kroupi, at 20, might manage to reach such heights based on his form over the last two years, yet he simply doesn’t boast the experience as yet to suggest he is here to stay for the long term, in quite the same way as Vlahovic.
Of course, the Serb’s injury record of late might be of concern, but what a force he is to be reckoned with, the type of player who can be a proper, physical focal point at the tip of Spurs’ attack.