Tottenham’s stance on Eli Junior Kroupi has come to light after the Lilywhites were met with firm resistance by Bournemouth.
New Bournemouth boss Marco Rose has said that he expects Kroupi to stay, insisting that the Cherries are doing everything they can to convince the 20-year-old that he is at the right club.
Tottenham insiders have said that the club’s interest in Kroupi has not gone away, with the Frenchman seemingly continuing to be at the top of their striker wishlist.
However, some sources have claimed that even a mammoth offer from Spurs for the forward will be rejected by Bournemouth, who are determined to keep the youngster at the club for at least one more season.
Tottenham will test Bournemouth’s resolve to keep Eli Junior Kroupi
TEAMtalk say that despite the South Coast club’s insistence that the forward is not for sale, the Lilywhites are ‘determined’ to test their resolve over the coming weeks.
Sources insist that the North London club have not cooled their interest in Kroupi and they remain hopeful that they can persuade Bournemouth to come to the negotiating table.
The report adds that the prospect of working under Roberto De Zerbi ‘genuinely appeals’ to the France U21 international.
However, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘realistic’ about the difficulty of striking a deal for the former Lorient man and have thus identified two alternatives.
The two Kroupi alternatives on Spurs’ radar
De Zerbi’s men do not want to put all their eggs in the Kroupi basket and are thus also ‘intensifying work’ on Hoffenheim striker Fisnik Asllani.
Spurs have launched enquiries over the Kosovo international and are keeping a close eye on his situation, but the player is also of interest to Barcelona and RB Leipzig.
Additionally, Club Brugge starlet Nicolo Tresoldi, who scored 23 goals and provided eight assists for the Belgian side across all competitions last term, is also on Tottenham’s wishlist.
The North London club have allegedly carried out background checks on the German forward, but so have the likes of Roma, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.