West Ham United 'delay for Eli Junior Kroupi emerges' after big-money bid
West Ham United's big-money move for Eli Junior Kroupi could be delayed with the striker not pushing for a transfer, according to Jacob Steinberg.
The Guardian journalist posted on X (2 February) to report that with Kroupi prepared to stay with Lorient until the end of the season, the Irons could hold off until the summer in their bid to sign him.
The Hammers had lined up a £35million package, with £15m paid up front, in their efforts to convince both Kroupi and his club's officials [Sky Sports, 2 February], but such an outlay will have to wait for now.
Graham Potter is closing in on Evan Ferguson's signature with the announcement of his season-long loan move from Brighton expected on Monday, but Kroupi's signature may still be several months away.
West Ham made to wait for Eli Junior Kroupi transfer
Shelling out up to £35m on an 18-year-old striker playing in France's second tier with just three first-team goals to his name would have been one hell of a statement for the Hammers to make.
However, doing so in the final hours of the winter transfer window would have been seen as a risk at best – and at worse, a blind panic by the Irons in a bid to address their self-made striker crisis.
Bringing in Ferguson – who is 20 and has a good record of Premier League goalscoring to his name – on a straight loan deal is a far safer move to make, and for a striker who is also well-known to Potter.
Kroupi, who is also on the radar of Lorient's sister club Bournemouth, could well be the next big striking talent to come out of France, but signing him before 3 February would have been too big a risk.
Throwing a teenage Kroupi in at the deep end, with the Irons in desperate need of a striker, could have gone one of two ways, and delaying approaches until summer could prove to be a blessing in disguise.
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