Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi is set to miss three to four months after undergoing foot surgery.
Kroupi, who enjoyed a stunning first season in the Premier League, had been linked with the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham.
But any hope of a transfer for the 20-year-old after The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported Kroupi is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Kroupi reportedly sustained the injury during Bournemouth’s pre-season trip to Austria. He travelled back to England for treatment before having surgery on Wednesday.
Bournemouth had stood firm amid significant interest in Kroupi, making it clear they had no desire to sell him.
But the Cherries now face being without him until October or November in a significant blow to new boss Marco Rose.
Kroupi joined Bournemouth from Lorient in February 2025 but spent the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at the Ligue 1 club.
He starred in his debut Premier League campaign as Bournemouth qualified for the Europa League in what proved to be Andoni Iraola’s final season in charge.
Kroupi scored 13 goals in 2025-26, all of which came in the Premier League.
While Bournemouth still have Evanilson to play through the middle of their attack, Kroupi’s injury increases the pressure on the likes of Rayan, Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier to contribute goals as they attempt to hit the ground running under Rose while competing on two fronts.
