Chelsea urged hijack Man City move for ‘special’ £69m transfer target | Football
Chelsea have been urged to pursue a deal for Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi as the young forward reportedly attracts interest from Manchester City.
Kroupi has enjoyed an impressive first season in the Premier League, becoming the first teenager to reach ten goals in his maiden season since Robbie Keane for Coventry City in 1999/2000.
And the Frenchman’s exploits are already said to have caught the eye of other clubs in the division, with Manchester City reportedly considering a summer move for the 19-year-old.
Sky Sports suggests that Kroupi’s agent has already met with City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, with a fee of around €80 million (£69m) potentially required to prise the striker away from Bournemouth.
But while City appear to be the front-runners, Florent Malouda believes his former club Chelsea should also be eyeing a move for Kroupi as they look to bolster their attacking options in the summer.
‘He’s a very good talent,’ Malouda told Snabbare. ‘I played against his father, I remember, in France; he was an Ivory Coast international player.
‘He did very well last season, one of the top players in France, and I’m very happy to see him doing well this season as well.’
Chelsea’s hopes of signing Kroupi could be bolstered if the Blues appoint current Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who is one of the favourites to replace Liam Rosenior on a permanent basis.
The Spaniard has described Kroupi as a ‘special’ talent this season, but Malouda warned that the teenager may need time to find his feet at Stamford Bridge and could benefit from going out on loan before breaking into the first team.
‘Again, I believe he needs to confirm it for one more season, at least in the Premier League, before going into one of the big clubs because I mentioned the competitive aspect,’ he added.
‘They’re looking to get game time and the confidence that comes from that. He might not get it at a top club if he jumps too early.
‘So, I think he came to the Premier League to develop himself, to challenge himself, and he needs to keep doing that.
‘So, even if a club like Chelsea were able to sign him, which would be a good thing, to send him on loan would be a better option than to keep him in the squad without game time.’
Joao Pedro has proven a shrewd acquisition from last summer, scoring 14 league goals so far this season, but fellow summer signing Liam Delap has struggled significantly this campaign.
The Englishman reportedly wants to stay at Chelsea next season and fight for his place, but will face added competition when Nicolas Jackson returns from his loan spell at Bayern Munich.
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