Khephren Thuram and Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice
Tottenham and Liverpool join European giants in race for Nice star Thuram.
The Reds came close to signing the 22-year-old this summer but Jurgen Klopp ultimately opted to focus on other targets.
Liverpool signed Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in a complete revamp of their midfield.
The quartet were brought in to replace Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita and James Milner, who have all left the Merseyside club since last season.
Thuram was high on Liverpool’s list of midfield targets but he ultimately decided to remain with Nice for the time being, as he is a key player for the French club and wants consistent playing time.
The Nice star, who is the son of France legend Lillian Thuram and brother of Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram, is widely considered to be one of the best young midfielders in Ligue 1.
Thuram has made 142 appearances for the French side to date, scoring eight goals and making 11 assists in the process.
Tottenham join heated race for Khephren Thuram
According to 90min, Juventus, PSG, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham have all ‘scouted Thuram in the first few weeks of the 2023/24 season,; while Liverpool have asked to be ‘kept abreast of his availability’ despite recently signing four midfielders.
The report claims that Juventus currently hold the ‘strongest interest’ in the midfielder due to their situation with Paul Pogba.
Pogba was recently suspended from football after Italy’s anti-doping tribunal revealed the France international returned a test with high levels of testosterone last month.
The midfielder could face a maximum ban of four years for the offence. If he can establish that the banned substance was taken outside of competition and unrelated to sport performance, however, he may only be banned for three months.
The uncertainly around Pogba’s future could mean that any move for Thuram may be accelerated ahead of the January window, according to 90min’s report.
His father, Lillian, spent five successful seasons with Juventus and it’s thought that he is keen to see his son make the switch to Turin.
Given the level of interest in Thuram, however, there is no guarantee that they will win the race for his signature.
Previous reports suggest that Nice will only consider bids in excess of €40m (£34.1m) for Thuram, so it will be interesting to see if Liverpool or Tottenham make a concrete bid for him when the transfer window re-opens.
