AFC Bournemouth striker Junior Kroupi has been shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year award after a sensational debut Premier League campaign. The 19-year-old scored 13 goals, broke the record for the highest-scoring teenage debut season and finished as the Cherries' top scorer.
AFC Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi has been named among the six finalists for the prestigious PFA Young Player of the Year award following a remarkable breakthrough campaign in the Premier League.
The 19-year-old Frenchman enjoyed a stunning first season in England's top flight, establishing himself as one of the league's most exciting emerging talents and one of Bournemouth's standout performers during the 2025/26 campaign.
Kroupi will compete against an impressive group of young talents for the award, with the full shortlist consisting of Manchester City's Rayan Cherki and Nico O'Reilly, Arsenal's Max Dowman, Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha and Bournemouth's own rising star.
Signed from French side Lorient for a fee reported to be around £10 million in early 2025, Kroupi arrived on the south coast with a growing reputation. However, few could have predicted the impact he would make in his debut Premier League season - and many pundits have been purring about how well he has adapted.
The teenage forward finished as Bournemouth's leading scorer with 13 league goals from 33 appearances, despite starting just 21 matches. His tally saw him break a long-standing record, becoming the highest-scoring teenager in Premier League history during a debut season, surpassing the previous mark shared by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane.
Kroupi's performances were built on ruthless efficiency in front of goal. He recorded 52 shots across the season, with 22 finding the target, and boasted the best shot conversion rate in the division among players presented with 10 or more big chances, converting nine of his 12 opportunities for an impressive 75 per cent success rate.
In total, the French attacker played 1,683 Premier League minutes, averaging a goal roughly every 130 minutes. He demonstrated his versatility by scoring with both feet, from inside and outside the penalty area, as well as with his head, while consistently outperforming expected-goals metrics in several statistical analyses - helping Bournemouth achieve European football for the very first time.
The Professional Footballers' Association awards are voted for by fellow players and are regarded as one of the highest honours in English football, recognising the outstanding performers across the country's professional divisions.
The winners will be announced at the 2026 PFA Awards ceremony, which is scheduled to take place at Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, August 25.
Meanwhile, speculation surrounding Kroupi's future continues to grow. According to reports from the Daily Mirror, Arsenal have been handed encouragement in their pursuit of the Bournemouth forward after Paris Saint-Germain reportedly cooled their interest. The French champions are said to have been deterred by Bournemouth's substantial valuation of the teenager, whose stock has risen dramatically following his record-breaking debut season.
