Club chief tells Liverpool what’ll happen if they ‘offer €100m’ for ‘world-class’ forward

“We will not sell Kroupi even if Barcelona or Liverpool offer €100m. That is completely out of the question.”

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Kroupi’s a real talent but Liverpool could probably find better value elsewhere

The Cherries figurehead couldn’t have been clearer about his club’s stance on the teenage forward, who’s netted a dozen goals in his first Premier League season and has been a major contributor in his team’s improbable push for Champions League qualification.

Bournemouth attacker Marcus Tavernier has described the Frenchman as a ‘world-class’ talent (afcb.co.uk), and whilst he’ll obviously need to justify that billing over several years and not just one, the 19-year-old seems to have an incredibly high ceiling.

Pinto is understandably keen to hold onto the striker for as long as possible, although every footballer ultimately has their price, as illustrated by the south coast club selling one-time Liverpool target Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City for £64m in January (ESPN).

That came after the Ghana international had scored 30 Premier League goals in the space of three years, averaging slightly less than Kroupi thus far in the English top flight, but proving that he can consistently deliver over a longer period.

By that logic, £86m or more for the Bournemouth youngster would seem excessive, and the Reds could probably find better value in the market for another centre-forward, albeit that they’d be paying primarily for the Frenchman’s vast potential.

In any event, it’d seen that the Cherries aren’t for turning when it comes to their number 22, who mightn’t even have to leave his current club to be playing Champions League football next season.