Neil Jones has said that Khephren Thuram is ‘definitely on a list that Liverpool would be looking at’, describing the Frenchman as a player with ‘huge potential’.
The Independent reported last week that the 22-year-old fits some of the main criteria that Jurgen Klopp is seeking in potential midfield signings.
The reliable journalist was speaking on Redmen TV amid the Nice midfielder’s links with the Anfield giants, saying: “Liverpool would want a bit more of a sure thing. Khephren Thuram is clearly a player of huge potential, he’s playing in a good side in the French league, played for France.
“He’s obviously got huge potential; it’s whether they think that potential is nailed on. Is he someone that they know exactly what they’ll get from him if they put him in this team – there’s enough doubt there?
“That would be the question, can he go straight into the team and immediately handle it, or does he become a player with huge potential, maybe not, maybe he does.
“The price, the age, the profile, the type of player he is, the potential that he’s got makes him someone who is definitely on a list that Liverpool would be looking at.”
Thuram already has plenty of experience relative to his age – he only turned 22 last month but has already racked up 138 senior career appearances, 111 of which have come in Ligue 1 (Transfermarkt).
He also compares favourably to several of Liverpool’s current midfielders when looking at his statistics from the season so far, as evidenced by data from FBref.
His tally of six top-flight goal contributions is greater than Fabinho, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago and Jordan Henderson combined, while he’s also taken more shots, made more interceptions and completed more dribbles than the Anfield quartet.
Only the Brazilian has won more tackles (35) than Thuram (32) in league action this term, and the same goes for blocks made (33 v 29).
The one caveat is that the Nice midfielder is operating at a slightly lower level than the Premier League, judging by UEFA’s association club coefficient, but he’s still made an impression in one of the foremost divisions in Europe.
He certainly seems capable of holding his own in the Liverpool squad – the big question is how high he features on FSG’s list of midfield targets, amid ongoing links with the likes of Mason Mount, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ryan Gravenberch and others.
You can see Jones’ comments in full below, via The Redmen TV on YouTube: