Chelsea close to sign £30m striker compared to Karim Benzema on deadline day
It is surprising that Chelsea have not yet made a new signing this winter.
Since Todd Boehly took over from Roman Abramovich, the Blues have been quite active in the transfer market, signing a total of 39 players in just over two years.
This winter transfer window has primarily concentrated on player departures rather than arrivals, with Cesare Casadei and Renato Veiga already departing Stamford Bridge for Torino and Juventus, respectively.
Tottenham also want Axel Disasi – who Enzo Maresca is happy to offload – while Aston Villa feel they can sign Joao Felix after receiving £71m for Jhon Duran.
Now – however – an incoming is close, with Chelsea honing in on the signing of Eli Junior Kroupi from Lorient.
Chelsea close to signing Eli Junior Kroupi
The Sun have now revealed that Chelsea are set to sign the 18-year-old in a £30m deal.
Chelsea have beaten West Ham to Kroupi’s signature, with the Hammers now expected to sign Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton instead of the teenager.
The Lorient No.22 is very keen to experience the Premier League, and would prefer to immediately link up with Maresca rather than be loaned out to another club to aid his development.
Kroupi has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions so far this season.
Who is Eli Junior Kroupi?
Chelsea are seemingly set to land a precocious talent in Kroupi.
Football Talent Scout – a site dedicated to analysing wonderkids across Europe – liken the France U19 international to Karim Benzema, specifically mentioning that the youngster excels at finishing, off the ball movement and ball control, traits which are complimented by his electric speed.
It remains to be seen what Chelsea opt to do with Kroupi once a deal is complete – although one possible destination is their sister club Strasbourg, who have already been handed the likes of Andrey Santos and Djordje Petrovic on loan.