Liverpool are set to miss out on long-term target Khephren Thuram to Juventus
According to a report from Liverpool ECHO, Liverpool-linked OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram is close to joining Juventus in a deal worth around £21m.
The Reds have been interested in the French midfielder since last summer, but a move to Anfield never materialised. Instead, they opted to sign Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch as part of their midfield revamp, after the departures of experienced heads such as Fabinho, James Milner and Jordan Henderson in the summer of 2023.
New Liverpool boss Arne Slot is seeking to reinforce the midfield unit, especially after the release of Thiago Alcantara at the end of this past season. However, the Merseysiders have suffered a blow as Juventus are seemingly on the cusp of signing Khephren Thuram.
Juventus have already lost Adrien Rabiot on a free transfer at the end of June, with the Frenchman now a free agent and interestingly linked with a move to Liverpool.
The Turin giants are perhaps planning to fill in the void left by Rabiot by signing Thuram, who had entered the final year of his contract at Nice (Transfermarkt). With Nice keen to receive a fee rather than let the midfielder walk away on a free transfer, they have decided to cash him in this summer.
With Liverpool on the lookout for midfield reinforcements, Thuram would have certainly been a good option. The 23-year-old is a crisp passer of the ball, tenacious in the tackle, dynamic and covers a lot of ground. Capable of operating as a No.6 or No.8, the one-cap France international likes to sit at the base of the midfield and make things tick for his team.
As Thiago has left the club in the wake of his contract expiry and Wataru Endo well into his 30s, there certainly was room for Thuram to come in and give the Merseyside giants a new option to add some dynamism and steel to their midfield unit. Blessed with a fine technique and close control, the ex-AS Monaco man would have been a strong option to compete with Endo for the No.6 role as well as added quality depth to Arne Slot’s squad that will compete in the Champions League next term.
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At £21million, the French midfield powerhouse would have been an absolute snip for the Reds, but unfortunately, we will now have to look elsewhere.
