Tottenham Hotspur are expected to delay their pursuit of Eli Junior Kroupi until 2027, after the Bournemouth striker suffered a serious injury setback in training this week, according to TEAMtalk.

Kroupi enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign in English football, netting 13 goals in 33 Premier League appearances as the Cherries qualified for Europe. This return has sparked interest from several top clubs across Europe, including the Lilywhites, Barcelona and Arsenal.

Spurs emerged as the frontrunners in the race to land the 20-year-old, and were reportedly set to make an opening offer for the player earlier this week.

However, while away with Bournemouth in Austria for pre-season training, Kroupi sustained a foot injury which requires surgery and will keep him out of action until the Christmas period, forcing Spurs to rethink their approach.

Tottenham to Move for Junior Kroupi Next Year

via Reuters

Spurs are in the market for a striker this summer. Richarlison is potentially on his way out of North London, while Dominic Solanke is yet to prove he can be a dependable option down the middle for a team with Champions League aspirations.

Kroupi had been the primary target, but the player’s abrupt injury means Spurs will now take stock and assess their options carefully.

TEAMtalk report that while Tottenham aren’t prepared to abandon their interest in the starlet, they won’t make a move for him this summer whilst he’s recovering from his setback, and will instead revisit the situation in January or in 12 months’ time.

Spurs have received encouragement from Kroupi’s representatives that the player is interested in swapping the south coast for N17, and this was enough for them to prepare a bid worth £80 million for the player, described as a ‘world-class talent’ by Cherries teammate Marcus Tavernier.

The North London club were even willing to pay over the odds to land the striker, although this injury has unsurprisingly altered their plans.

Tottenham to Look at Kroupi Alternatives

While a winger is expected to arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs aren’t giving up hope of signing a striker as well, even if they can’t acquire Kroupi.

Alternatives for the Cherries hitman are being lined up. Nicolas Tresoldi is on their radar, after the German enjoyed a fruitful season in front of goal for Club Brugge in 2025/26, netting 23 times across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani has also been mooted as a target for the North Londoners. While the Kosovan only scored 10 goals in the Bundesliga last season, he’s attracting interest from RB Leipzig and Barcelona, highlighting the calibre of talent he’s perceived to be on the continent.

FIFA have released a new statement, titled ‘Clarifications on FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, after the backlash over its controversial plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

UEFA announced on Thursday afternoon that its 55 member associations will boycott World Cups and other FIFA tournaments if the sport’s governing body proceeds with the proposal led by its under-fire president Gianni Infantino.

Meanwhile, the 41 nations of CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) have also rejected Infantino’s plans.

AFC (the Asian Football Confederation) have described the manner in which FIFA attempted to force through the plans as “unacceptable”.

FIFA has set a deadline of September 19 for its 211 member associations to make an instant £15 million ($20 million) instantly if they vote through the plans. An additional £50 million ($66 million) will then be given to each association before 2038.

FIFA Post Fresh Statement Amid Backlsh Over World Cup Plans

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

With the pressure intensifying on Infantino, FIFA’s president since 2016, world football’s governing body have released a fresh statement, insisting: “Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.”

Posted to X (Twitter), FIFA’s statement reads:

• “FIFA acknowledges and respects feedback and concern aired in public
• “FIFA reaffirms its commitment to an open and democratic consultation
• “Erroneous reporting in the media disrupted planned consultation process

“We have heard the feedback provided by the respective confederations in relation to the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and would like to address the issues that have surfaced since the initial media reporting on Tuesday.

“We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation.

⁠”Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports. We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each MA has the ability to express its vote based on facts.

“FFE has been proposed solely to ensure that all FIFA Member Associations (MAs) have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the commercial opportunity of football in their respective countries, and that this does not come at the cost of either the spirit or the governance of FIFA or football itself.

“Everyone has the right to express their opposition and to seek further clarification but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 MAs around the world. Each MA should be allowed to review the proposal and have a say in shaping their own future. These are the democratic principles of FIFA.

“As per the proposal:

• “FFE would move FIFA’s commercial and operational event delivery activities into a subsidiary organisation that FIFA would own and control permanently.
• “⁠The commercial value created would be shared among all 211 MAs, enabling each MA to make meaningful investments in football in their respective countries.
• “⁠Under the proposal, each MA would receive USD 20 million of FIFA Forward Development funding over the next four years (2027-2030), irrespective of its individual support.
• “⁠This increased funding would come from the additional revenues generated by FFE through the more effective management of FIFA’s commercial operations, for the benefit of all MAs.
• “⁠The FIFA Fast Forward Programme is a one-off development funding of an additional USD 20 million per MA – participation would be fully voluntary for all MAs should the FFE proposal proceed – and would be financed by external investment without ceding control or altering FIFA’s governance structure in any way.
• “⁠Without the support of the majority of MAs, FIFA’s commercial activities would remain unchanged. FFE would not be established.

“These components represent the starting point of the consultation process and are open for discussion as part of that process. This can include approval, rejection or amendment in their entirety or individually.

These principles underpin the FFE proposal: unprecedented development funding, truly global ownership of the commercial opportunities of our sport, and full self-determination through a democratic process for all MAs.”

Of FIFA’s 211 members, Infantino requires 106 votes in favour for the proposal to go through. UEFA and CONCACAF members combined make up 96 associations.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi says that the club have completed 60% of their project in the transfer market, which could suggest that there are still four more signings to come if the Italian is solely talking about incomings.

Tottenham have of course brought in six players to date, which would match up to the 60% figure, while it is widely known that he wants at least two more attacking players to arrive in north London before the September 1 deadline.

Spurs’ top attacking target was considered to be Manchester City winger Savinho, who club chiefs will hope to finally land after a year-long pursuit of the Brazilian.

There are some suggestions that a deal is likely to happen, after the 22-year-old told City he wanted to leave and join a new club, once the Premier League runners-up sign a replacement for the South American forward.

It was expected that he was the likely next arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, especially after another target in Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi was ruled out for up to four months through injury, but De Zerbi’s latest hint suggests otherwise.

The Italian told reporters in Sydney that a transfer ‘Bomba’ is on the way for another forward who isn’t Savinho, and he said he ‘hoped’ it is close to being done.

Tottenham Hold Talks Over Ferran Torres Transfer

REUTERS/Hannah Mckay via Action Images

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are already looking at alternatives to Junior Kroupi after the Frenchman’s injury issues, including Barcelona’s Ferran Torres.

The Spain international became a global superstar after scoring the winning goal against Argentina in the World Cup final, yet there is a chance he could leave the Camp Nou this summer.

The 26-year-old could be available this summer should he fail to agree new contract terms with the La Liga champions, and Spurs would relish the opportunity to bring him back to the Premier League after his previous spell with Manchester City.

The report says that PSG are advancing towards an agreement for the Spaniard, but Tottenham have also held discussions with intermediaries regarding the attacker’s situation, and they continue to keep a close eye on developments.

Torres Would be a ‘Bomba’ Tottenham Transfer

REUTERS/Hollie Adams

De Zerbi’s smirk when he was delivering the ‘Bomba’ line to journalists suggested that this next signing will be an exciting one, and Torres certainly fits the bill.

The 26-year-old plays for Barcelona and has made more than 200 appearances for the Catalan giants, scoring 65 goals and registering a further 23 assists.

Of course, he has become an even bigger world star after his extra-time winner against Argentina in the World Cup final, as Spain lifted the famous trophy.

Torres has only made 28 Premier League appearances previously during his time with Man City, but he showed his pedigree with nine goals and three assists.

Tottenham will also harbour hopes of returning to the Champions League as soon as possible, and Torres bring an impressive record in that competition too, with 18 goals in 50 outings.

Let’s see if Spurs can get a deal over the line in the coming weeks, or if the incoming ‘Bomba’ signing is somebody else.