Neil Jones has warned that one of the biggest delays in a potential deal for Nice’s highly-rated midfielder Khephren Thuram will come from the French club.
There is the matter of a lack of a release clause attached to the Frenchman too to consider, with it clear that the process will be comparatively less smooth than the successful acquisition of Alexis Mac Allister earlier in the window.
“He’s not a player, as far as we’re aware, that has a release clause, which obviously complicates matters. You have to remember, as well, that the international transfer window isn’t actually open at this stage, there are still a few days until that happens,” the football journalist informed Empire of the Kop in his exclusive EOTK Insider column.
“When we talk about delays to the deal, as I mentioned, I think it’s more a club-to-club thing and that will be what determines how quickly or if a deal gets done.
“It’s not a case like with Alexis Mac Allister where you know the price you’re going to pay and you know the other club doesn’t have much of a say in the matter.
“The Euros do obviously complicate matters when you’re dealing with medicals and things like that but I don’t envision any issues on the player’s side – it’s all on the club’s side.”
The Merseysiders have made the midfield a clear priority this window following a campaign near entirely defined by the collapse of the department in question.
The club appears to be entirely clear on the exact profile they’re keen on bringing to Anfield beyond our latest Argentine addition.
Physicality and legs are a minimum entry requirement, with physical stature an added bonus sure to buy any prospective target a fast-track ticket to the front of the queue.
Standing at 6’4″, it’s worth highlighting that Thuram is far from being an uncharismatic brute; there’s plenty of technical ability and he’s a player confident carrying the ball and taking on a man (94th percentile for progressive carries and 91st for successful take-ons, according to FBref). Positional versatility will hardly hurt his chances either.
If we can manage to keep the transfer under £40m on top of that, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders will be positively purring behind the scenes after landing Mac Allister for a pittance at £35m.
He would be a good addition and then we could move onto a marquee signing