Junior Kroupi: The Teenage Goal Machine Rewriting the Record Books

If you haven't been screaming at your phone every time Junior Kroupi gets the ball, what are you even doing?

The 19-year-old Frenchman has scored 12 Premier League goals in his debut season — equalling a record set by Robbie Fowler back in 1993. That's before most of our parents were even watching football. He's the first teenager to hit double figures in their first Premier League season since Robbie Keane did it for Coventry in 1999-2000.

Where Did He Come From?

Kroupi signed from French club Lorient in January 2025 for just 13 million euros. To put that in perspective, that's less than what some clubs spend on a backup goalkeeper. At Lorient, he scored 22 goals to fire them to promotion — and he was still only 18.

The Arsenal Masterclass

His best moment? It has to be the goal at the Emirates on 11 April. Bournemouth went to Arsenal — title contenders, remember — and Kroupi opened the scoring. The team went on to win 2-1, with Alex Scott grabbing the winner. It was Bournemouth's second consecutive season beating Arsenal away. Kroupi became the first teenager to score home AND away against Arsenal in a Premier League season since Wayne Rooney in 2002-03. Yeah. Wayne Rooney.

Everyone Wants Him

Barcelona, Manchester City, and Arsenal are all reportedly watching. But right now, he's ours. And with the team chasing European football for the first time ever, there's no better place for him to be.

What Makes Him So Good?

It's the speed of thought. He doesn't just run fast — he thinks fast. He reads where the ball is going to be, makes runs that defenders don't expect, and his finishing is ice cold. When Iraola switched to two strikers at Arsenal, pairing Kroupi with Evanilson, it unlocked a whole new level of chaos for opposition defences.

Three games left this season. Can he break Fowler's record outright? We'll be watching every single one.