The son of former FC Lorient man and Coupe de France winner Elie Kroupi is making waves with Les Merlus this season. At 17 years old, Kroupi has been considered Lorient's most promising youth prospect for some time, and he has certainly lived up to that label so far in the start of the season.

Whilst the youngster started the season on the bench, he has now successfully forced his way into Régis Le Bris' starting XI. Two assists and his first professional goal have seen him come to prominence as one of the youngest talents to watch in Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season.

Lorient’s Star Boy

"I grew up in Lorient, in a house in a district called Pont-Scorff. I have three sisters, two older ones aged 24 and a younger one aged 11. My father is a coach at a small district club, FC Folclo, and my mother is a care assistant at an old people's home."

This was how a 15-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi introduced himself during an Adidas marketing campaign with some of France’s best talents of the 2006 generation. With his bloodline and his local upbringing, he represents what it means to play for the Breton club.

"Junior's early arrival at the club, his personality and his family history have created the conditions for a very special relationship with Lorient," said manager Régis Le Bris when the youngster signed a contract extension in the summer. "He means a lot to the men and women who build the club's project every day. We are convinced that he will give himself the means to rise to the challenge of performing at the highest level."

So far in Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season, Kroupi has shown his worth to the rest of the league. He has risen through the ranks of Lorient’s academy and reserve sides, and gained recognition in France’s youth teams. In Les Bleus' U16 and U17 sides, the Frenchman has scored eight goals in 14 appearances. This included a spell where he scored four goals in two matches against Italy.

Creator and finisher

This season, Kroupi found himself on the bench in Lorient's two first matches, but played 19 minutes in his 2023-24 debut, when he bagged an assist against OGC Nice. He is an attacking midfielder that drops and helps in build-up play, but - as proven by his performance against FC Nantes last Saturday - he can be a deadly finisher.

"My strong points are finishing, technique, first touch and also passing, when I turn and get others to play forward. I'd like to improve my left foot and my cardio," said Kroupi about his game when he was 15 years old. His close-range headed finish against Les Canaris proved his finishing capability, inspired by some former Ligue 1 Uber Eats legends. “My favourite player is Neymar, I like his style, his technique, he's spectacular. But I'm more inspired by Benzema for his movement and quality in front of goal."

At 17 years old, Eli Junior Kroupi has the name and the expectations to live up to at the Stade du Moustoir. But with a positive start to the 2023-24 season, it looks like the Lorient man is one of THE young players to watch this season.

>>Assists R5: Eli Junior Kroupi stealing the show!