Laporta knows that he can't waste time and needs a reliable replacement for Lewandowski. The Polish striker is still in great shape, but next season he will become 37 years old and, little by little, his gas will have to run out.
Time waits for no one, not even Laporta, so he seems to have decided who his long-term replacement could be. Journalist Ekrem Konur has revealed that Barça is closely following the development of Junior Kroupi, a striker who is only 18 years old and is nicknamed "French Lamine Yamal".
Junior Kroupi plays for Lorient in France's Ligue 1. He's made eight appearances so far this season, scoring four goals and providing one assist. His market value is €10 million, although it seems as if the price to be paid should be higher.
He has a contract until 2026 and everything seems to indicate that Junior Kroupi could leave next summer. Laporta has excellent reports of this player and he's very popular at Barça for his experience in the elite despite his young age. He is very popular as the long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
Junior Kroupi: the Lamine Yamal from France
The truth is that Junior Kroupi's career, with all due respect, bears many similarities to that of Lamine Yamal.
In June 2023, he made his professional debut at just 16 years and 11 months with Lorient. He completed a high-level first season in the elite and is now ready to make the leap.
Laporta is not the only one who wants Junior Kroupi: Apart from Barça, there are other teams that are very interested in the striker, such as Arsenal, Chelsea or even Real Madrid .
Laporta has Only Paid Half of Robert Lewandowski's Contract
Robert Lewandowski has begun his third triumphant season at Barça. And Laporta has still not paid the full bill for his transfer. The whopping sum of 22,628,464 million euros remains to be paid.
The situation is so paradoxical that Robert Lewandowski will soon leave the club and retire (he is now 36 years old) and Barça will still pay for his transfer.
And the most curious thing is that three years later, half of the total cost of the operation still remains to be paid: 45 million.
It is likely that, by the time Junior Kroupi arrives at Barça, Robert Lewandowski's transfer will still be due.