Former Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has shared his verdict on Bournemouth teenager Eli Junior Kroupi amid speculation that the Catalans are keen on the forward.
Kroupi has starred in the Premier League this season and is the top scoring teenager in the English top flight with 12 goals so far in 2025-26.
Henry knows Kroupi well and admitted he wanted to call up the youngster during his stint with France’s Under-21s.
“I’m not surprised,” Henry said on Sky Sports.
“I thought of taking him when he was
only 16 with the U21s. That didn’t go down too well at the time because he hadn’t played with the U17s, the U18s, the U19s.
“But when you see someone who has that raw talent and desire, age doesn’t matter.
“He has been proving that he’s a great goalscorer, very Jermain Defoe-like when he’s in the box. He can play on the right, on the left. He has an eye for a goal and a he has a good future.”
Kroupi is one of a host of players being linked with a move to Barcelona. He’s also thought to have attracted interest from several top Premier League clubs ahead of a potential big-money summer move.
