When a young player like Eli Junior Kroupi registers 13 goals from wide areas, it is no wonder Arsenal have clocked his coordinates. The Gunners' inte...
When a young player like Eli Junior Kroupi registers 13 goals from wide areas, it is no wonder Arsenal have clocked his coordinates. The Gunners' interest in the Bournemouth attacker makes complete tactical sense. He offers the kind of direct running and clinical finishing that Mikel Arteta's system currently craves from the flanks. There is a rawness to his game, a fearless streak in transitional play that suggests he could thrive in the Premier League's high tempo environment.But here is the complication. According to information gathered by GoalZaza, Kroupi has already made his feelings known. If a move away from the south coast materialises this summer, his preferred destination is the French capital. Paris Saint Germain. That is a problem for Arsenal's recruitment team. They must now decide if they are willing to enter a negotiation they may well lose, or whether to cut their losses and look elsewhere. There is no room for sentiment in this business.The raw numbers are impressive, but the deeper analysis is what catches the eye. Kroupi is not merely a statistics accumulator. He shows intelligence in how he drifts into half spaces, how he times his runs to break a low block. For Arsenal, who sometimes toil against sides that park the bus, that sort of movement would be invaluable. Yet the pull of playing for PSG, of returning to his domestic league with the weight of a badge like that, is a powerful one.So where does this leave the Gunners They can either press the accelerator and try to change Kroupi's mind with a compelling project, or they can accept that this is one of those transfer tales where the player has already made his choice. It is squeaky bum time in the scouting room. The next few weeks will reveal whether Arsenal are serious about pushing this deal through, or if they were merely window shopping all along.For now, the smart money is on the player getting his wish. Paris is calling, and it sounds like he is ready to answer.
