Liverpool may have been given renewed hope of signing one summer midfield transfer target, following the recent comments of the sporting director at his current club.
Khephren Thuram was a much-cited name in the Reds’ rumour mill in May and June, although those links have cooled considerably since his participation in the European Under-21 Championship with France.
However, the Anfield side might just be reconsidering the possibility of a swoop for the 22-year-old after an admission from Nice chief Florent Ghisolfi at a press conference on Friday.
As per France Bleu Azur (via Liverpool Echo), he said: “Thuram and [Jean-Clair] Todibo are coveted. We hope to keep all of our vital players, but we’ve never tied players down. If all parties are satisfied, a departure could happen.”
Right now, Liverpool’s focus is firmly fixed on finalising a transfer for another young midfielder in Romeo Lavia, so if the Reds resurrect their interest in Thuram, it realistically won’t happen until the saga with the Southampton gem is concluded.
The Frenchman could be seen as a viable alternative to the 19-year-old if the latter’s move from the Saints breaks down, or if they sign him and they’re still looking to bolster their midfield, as journalist Sam Tighe has hinted.
When the Nice player was heavily linked with LFC earlier in the summer, an asking price of £50m was being floated, although it was reported that the Ligue 1 side could listen to offers for less than that figure (Daniel Nielson).
At that time, Alexis Mac Allister had been Liverpool’s only signing of the off-season, but if Lavia is recruited, he’d be their third midfield acquisition since the end of 2022/23.
That may leave Jurgen Klopp wishing to prioritise other areas of the squad, but if he still feels there’s scope for one more midfielder to come in, it’ll be interesting to see if the Reds go for Thuram following the recent admission from Ghisolfi.
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones