Arsenal could see £85m bid accepted for 'next Mbappe'

The champagne is popping, Declan Rice is dancing, and Arsenal are champions again, now looking forward to lifting their first Premier League trophy in 22 years on Sunday.

The article has been in the making for years, it must be said, the result of careful planning and smart recruitment, Mikel Arteta who oversees the gradual progress to finally cross the line this time.

As former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag said of the club's rivals in 2022, “eras are coming to an end”, with the Gunners still in a position to capitalize on instability elsewhere in the top flight.

Jürgen Klopp has already flown the nest at Liverpool; Pep Guardiola will be next in charge of Manchester City. There is chaos and turmoil at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and United appear to be taking a gamble of their own with the appointment of Michael Carrick.

Sitting on their perch, now is the time for Arsenal to put the pedal down and take a long-term advantage.

Arsenal could see an £85m bid accepted to seal the Premier League title

After a summer dominated by striker talk last summer, the north London side could once again be in the market for a marquee striker this time around, following the muted performances of Arteta's forward line this season.

Reports earlier this week suggested that Paris Saint-Germain's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the Spaniard's dream target, although Arsenal's upcoming Champions League rivals are unlikely to consider selling.

There is also similar interest in Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez, although again, Diego Simeone's side will not be serious sellers, with any deal likely to be affected by Argentina's participation in this summer's World Cup.

Looking closer to home then in the Premier League, TEAMtalk has provided the latest on Arsenal's interest in Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi, with the young sensation attracting significant interest following a season at the Vitality Stadium.

The Gunners, along with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, are currently targeting the 19-year-old, and Arteta has said he is keen to sign a new striker to compete with Viktor Gyokeres next season.

It is suggested that a 'huge bid' could be required to secure his signing, with figures ranging from £65m to £85m, a huge increase on the £12m deal that brought him to England just last year.

Why Kroupi will be better than Gyokeres

To say that Gyokeres has been missing out on the championship would be an understatement, the biggest success of this season stems from the brilliance of the defending team.

The Gunners have scored just 69 league goals so far, as many as they scored last season and 17 fewer than Liverpool scored when they won the title last year.

That suggests there is still room for improvement, as Gyokeres – who has scored at least 14 league goals – has not improved significantly following his £64m switch from Sporting CP.

The 27-year-old has his charms, no doubt, but young Kroupi looks like a real genius in the making, hailed as “the next Mbappe” by GOAL. He has certainly lived in the Premier League like a duck.

Having arrived from Ligue 2 Lorient in the summer, after scoring 22 league goals in 2024/25, the youngster picked up where he left off in France, proving a surprise star under Andoni Iraola's watch.

Now on his way to 13 goals in England's top flight, Kroupi has set the record for the most goals scored by a youngster in their first Premier League campaign, overtaking the likes of Robbie Keane and Robbie Fowler, who both scored 12.

That's respectable company to be in, with 13 goals coming for France despite starting just 20 games, scoring one every 124 minutes. Gyokeres, for context, has scored once every 160 minutes for the Gunners.

Already “one of the best finishers in the Premier League”, according to pundit Daniel Sturridge, Kroupi boasts a 28% goal-scoring rate and has missed just three 'big chances', an impressive record considering his age.

In comparison, Gyokeres, eight years his senior, missed 15 'big chances' and had a goal conversion rate of 26%.

What also distinguishes Kroupi is the way he scored a goal this season. Gyokeres, who has converted three penalties, was a poacher, as evidenced by his close range efforts against Everton.

The Frenchman has nothing, in contrast, to fire home at the Emirates earlier this year, while also scoring a goal that proved vital in the title race in midweek, slotting past a helpless Gigi Donnarumma.

Comfortable in the middle or on the left, Kroupi could be the missing piece that Arsenal have been waiting for, thus clearing Gyokeres from the second string position next season.