Junior Kroupi in 2026: Net Worth and Salary, Parents, Ethnicity, Age, Transfer Values, and FAQs

By ICON Team · Apr 27, 2026 · 9 min read
Junior Kroupi in 2026: Net Worth and Salary, Parents, Ethnicity, Age, Transfer Values, and FAQs

Detail

Information

Full Name

Eli Junior Eric Anatole Rainha Kroupi

Date of Birth

23 June 2006

Age (in 2026)

19 years old

Place of Birth

Lorient, Morbihan, France

Nationality

French (eligible for France, Ivory Coast, and Portugal)

Ethnicity

Mixed (Ivorian father, Portuguese mother)

Height

179 cm (5 ft 10 in)

Preferred Foot

Right

Position

Forward / Attacking Midfielder

Current Club

AFC Bournemouth

Shirt Number

22

Father

Eli Kroupi (former Ivory Coast international footballer)

Mother

Of Portuguese descent

Youth Club

FC Lorient Academy

Senior Debut

3 June 2023 (for FC Lorient)

International Team

France (youth levels U16 to U21)

Estimated Net Worth (2026)

$2 million to $4 million

Estimated Transfer Value

Around 60 million pounds to 80 million euros

 

If you have been following the Premier League this season, you have probably heard the name Junior Kroupi more times than you can count. The 19 year old Bournemouth forward has gone from being a quiet name on transfer rumour pages to one of the most talked about teenagers in European football. He scores, he creates, and he plays with a calmness that makes you forget how young he actually is.

 

Junior Kroupi Age

 

Junior Kroupi was born on 23 June 2006 in Lorient, a coastal town in the Brittany region of France. That makes him 19 years old as of 2026. He turns 20 in June 2026, which is wild when you consider what he has already done in the Premier League. Most players his age are still trying to break into a senior squad, while he is being scouted by Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

 

Junior Kroupi Parents

 

Football runs deep in this family. His father, Eli Kroupi Senior, was a professional footballer himself who represented the Ivory Coast at international level. He had a long career in France, playing for clubs like Stade Rennais, AS Nancy, and FC Lorient, the very same club where his son would later begin his journey. So when people say Junior was born into the game, they mean it literally.

His mother, whose identity has been kept fairly private, is of Portuguese descent. The Rainha in his full name comes from her side of the family. Junior grew up in Brittany surrounded by football conversations, and both parents played a big role in keeping him grounded as he climbed through the Lorient youth system from the age of six.

 

Junior Kroupi Mother

 

Junior Kroupi has been quite protective when it comes to his mother. What is publicly known is that she is Portuguese, and her heritage is part of the reason Junior is technically eligible to play for Portugal at international level if he ever chose to. She has been described in interviews as a strong presence in his life, the kind of mother who kept him focused on school and football when other distractions came calling. Icon Polls notes that Junior often credits his calm temperament on the pitch to the way he was raised at home.

 

Junior Kroupi Ethnicity

 

Junior is of mixed heritage. His father is Ivorian, and his mother is Portuguese. He was born and raised in France, which is the country he has chosen to represent at youth international level. This blend of African, European, and French upbringing is part of what makes his story so interesting to fans across different continents. He carries three possible football identities, but for now, France is where his heart and his caps lie.

 

Junior Kroupi Style of Play

 

This is where things get exciting. Junior Kroupi is not your typical number nine. He is a forward, but he plays more like a hybrid of a striker and an attacking midfielder. He drifts into the half spaces, links up with midfielders, drops deep to receive the ball, and then drives at defenders with quick close control. Watching him, you can see flashes of Karim Benzema in his link up play and a bit of Sergio Aguero in his finishing inside the box.

His shot conversion rate has been one of the best in the Premier League this season for any teenager. He uses his right foot for almost every finish, which is interesting because his father was famously two footed. He is not the biggest forward at 179 cm, but he is sharp, intelligent, and reads the game like a player ten years older. Coaches have praised his off the ball movement, his pressing, and his ability to make the right pass under pressure.

Where he can still grow is in his aerial duels and his defensive work rate when his team loses the ball. Those are coachable areas, and at 19 he has plenty of time to round out his game.

 

Junior Kroupi Net Worth and Salary

 

Icon Polls estimates that Junior Kroupi has a net worth of between 2 million and 4 million dollars as of 2026. That figure takes into account his Bournemouth contract, his signing on bonuses, his image rights, and any small endorsements he has picked up since moving to England.

On the salary side, he reportedly earns around 53,000 euros per week at Bournemouth, which works out to roughly 2.7 million euros per year before bonuses. That is a strong wage for a 19 year old, but it is still modest compared to what he could earn if he moves to one of the top six clubs that have been chasing his signature. A move to Manchester City or Manchester United could easily triple his weekly wage.

 

Junior Kroupi Transfer Values

 

Bournemouth signed Junior Kroupi from Lorient in February 2025 for a fee of around 10 million pounds. Looking at where his market value sits now, that signing already feels like one of the smartest pieces of business in recent Premier League memory.

Different platforms put his current transfer value somewhere between 20 million euros and 30 million euros, but the price tag Bournemouth themselves are reportedly placing on him is much higher. Reports suggest the club is asking for as much as 80 million euros from any club that wants him, with 60 million pounds being the more commonly mentioned figure for serious bidders. Icon Polls expects this number to climb if he keeps scoring at his current rate through the rest of the season.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool have all been linked. Pep Guardiola is said to be a particular admirer, which tells you everything about how highly he is rated.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Junior Kroupi

 

1. Who is Junior Kroupi?

 

Junior Kroupi is a 19 year old French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth. He is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young attackers in European football.

 

2. How old is Junior Kroupi?

 

He is 19 years old as of 2026. He was born on 23 June 2006 and will turn 20 in June 2026.

 

3. Where was Junior Kroupi born?

 

He was born in Lorient, in the Morbihan department of the Brittany region in northwestern France.

 

4. What is Junior Kroupi's nationality?

 

He is French. However, because of his parents' heritage, he is also eligible to represent the Ivory Coast and Portugal at international level.

 

5. What is Junior Kroupi's ethnicity?

 

He is of mixed heritage. His father is from the Ivory Coast and his mother is of Portuguese descent.

 

6. Who is Junior Kroupi's father?

 

His father is Eli Kroupi Senior, a former professional footballer who played for Ivory Coast and had a career in France with clubs like Stade Rennais, AS Nancy, and FC Lorient.

 

7. Who is Junior Kroupi's mother?

 

His mother is of Portuguese descent. She prefers to stay out of the spotlight, but she is known to have been a major influence in his upbringing.

 

8. Does Junior Kroupi have siblings?

 

Junior has kept most of his family life private, and there is little public information about siblings.

 

9. What position does Junior Kroupi play?

 

He plays as a forward but is also comfortable as an attacking midfielder. At Bournemouth this season he has often been used as a number nine and a number ten.

 

10. What is Junior Kroupi's style of play?

 

He is a mobile, intelligent forward who links play, drifts into pockets of space, and finishes well inside the box. His style has drawn comparisons to Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe.

 

11. What club does Junior Kroupi play for?

 

He currently plays for AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League. He joined them from FC Lorient in 2025.

 

12. How much did Bournemouth pay for Junior Kroupi?

 

Bournemouth signed him for a reported 10 million pounds in February 2025.

 

13. What is Junior Kroupi's transfer value in 2026?

 

His market value is estimated to be between 20 million and 30 million euros, but Bournemouth are reportedly asking for 60 million pounds or more. Icon Polls expects the figure to grow if he keeps performing.

 

14. What is Junior Kroupi's net worth?

 

Icon Polls estimates his net worth to be between 2 million and 4 million dollars as of 2026.

 

15. How much does Junior Kroupi earn at Bournemouth?

 

He reportedly earns around 53,000 euros per week, which equals roughly 2.7 million euros per year.

 

16. What national team does Junior Kroupi play for?

 

He represents France at youth international level and has played for the U16, U17, U19, U20, and U21 sides.

 

17. Could Junior Kroupi play for Ivory Coast or Portugal?

 

Yes. Through his parents he is eligible for the Ivory Coast (his father's country) and Portugal (his mother's heritage), but he has so far chosen to commit to France.

 

18. Which big clubs are interested in Junior Kroupi?

 

Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool have all been linked with him. Pep Guardiola is said to be especially keen.

 

19. How tall is Junior Kroupi?

 

He is 179 cm tall, which is roughly 5 feet 10 inches.

 

20. Is Junior Kroupi right footed or left footed?

 

He is predominantly right footed and uses his right foot for almost all of his shots and finishes.

 

21. What records has Junior Kroupi broken?

 

He became the youngest ever Lorient player to make his Ligue 1 debut and the youngest ever Lorient player to score in Ligue 1. In the Premier League, he became one of the few teenagers in over twenty years to reach double figures in goals during a debut season.

 

22. Is Junior Kroupi the next big thing in football?

 

Many believe he is. Bournemouth teammates have called him frightening to watch, and scouts compare him to Karim Benzema and Sergio Aguero. If he keeps developing at this rate, Icon Polls believes he will be one of the defining attackers of his generation.