Man City transfer news: Pep Guardiola eyes £70m+ Premier League gem

Pep Guardiola is reportedly under the spell of one of this season's revelations in the Premier League. Manchester City have begun moving the pieces on a costly file ahead of the opening of the upcoming transfer window.

Manchester City have plenty riding on this end of the season and the coming month of May. The Citizens are locked in a final sprint for the Premier League title with Arsenal, and an FA Cup final still to play against Chelsea. None of which stops the Sky Blues from also turning their attention to next season — and therefore the transfer window.

According to Sky Sport, Pep Guardiola is under the spell of Eli Junior Kroupi and is closely tracking his progress at Bournemouth. The French striker, who pitched up at Cherries last summer, has emerged as one of the season's revelations in the Premier League, plundering 11 goals in 29 matches.

Manchester City have Eli Junior Kroupi in their sights

The Spanish boss is fully sold on the qualities of the former Lorient man, who now sits firmly on Manchester City's shortlist. Internally, the 19-year-old's profile has already been signed off by several decision-makers. Sporting director Hugo Viana has also met with Kroupi's agent.

“His speed of execution, combined with technical quality and sharp decision-making, has hugely impressed the Citizens' recruitment team,” reported journalist Sacha Tavolieri. For the moment, the Sky Blues have yet to concretely make their move on Bournemouth.

Bournemouth holding out for at least £70m for their gem

The Cherries are determined to hang on to their gem, who was snapped up for just £11m (€13m) and is tied to a contract until June 2030. The English club have reportedly slapped a minimum price tag of £70m (€80m) on the France Under-21 international's head before they would even consider sanctioning his exit. The Manchester outfit are not ruling out making their move this summer, particularly should space open up in their attacking ranks.

Manchester City are thus duly warned of Bournemouth's stance on the dossier, but they will also have to keep a wary eye on the competition as the next transfer window approaches. Kroupi has been turning the heads of European heavyweights such as Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Liverpool since the start of 2026.