Under Olivier Pantaloni’s leadership, Lorient look set for an immediate return to Ligue 1 following their relegation last season.
The Breton side currently sit top of Ligue 2 at the time of writing, three points clear of second-placed Paris FC and four ahead of Metz in third.
Their positive 2024/25 campaign has been thanks in no small part to 18-year-old goalscorer Eli Junior Kroupi (179cm / 5’10”, 70kg / 154lbs).
The young Frenchman is the top goalscorer in France’s second tier, having netted on 17 occasions in 25 appearances at the time of writing.
Kroupi’s performances earned him a winter move to Premier League side Bournemouth for a €13m transfer fee.
However, he’s remaining with Lorient until summer, when Les Merlus hope he’ll have helped reinstate them to the top flight before embarking on a new journey to the EPL.
This scout report and player analysis aims to explain why Bournemouth was so keen to sign Kroupi in February.
It outlines Kroupi’s key strengths and how he’s torn Ligue 2 apart this season.
We believe Bournemouth has found a bargain in the Lorient attacker, and this analysis will show why the Cherries have done well in getting Kroupi on their books.
Who Is Eli Junior Kroupi?
Our first section will outline Eli Junior Kroupi’s style of play and what can broadly be expected from the 18-year-old.
Eli Junior Kroupi Heat Map
Kroupi has mainly played as a left-sided forward this season, with the majority of his minutes being registered as a ‘centre-forward’ due to him playing the left striker role in Lorient’s 4-4-2.
The 18-year-old has also played the centre-forward role in a 4-3-3 on a few occasions this term but has mostly lined up on the left wing when Lorient have gone with that system—a more common occurrence in recent games compared to earlier in the season.
