If Liverpool manages to entice Khephren Thuram away from OGC Nice, he would become the 19th French player to join the Reds.
Although the 22-year-old is the subject of much speculation, the young French player is competing in the European Championships in Georgia and Romania.
Thuram will be looking to follow in the footsteps of the former Manchester United duo this summer as Les Bleus haven’t been named the greatest team in Europe at that level since 1988 with players like Laurent Blanc and Eric Cantona in the roster.
Regardless of the outcome of the contest, many see Thuram as one of the important signings this summer who can coexist on Merseyside with fellow newcomer Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool face a midfield overhaul after a number of factors contributed to their woes last season. Many have highlighted the lack of signings or the ageing players currently occupying positions in the engine room. Now with three of their options having left as free agents, change is afoot with Thuram reportedly earmarked as one of the players to fit the bill.
Should the transfer happen, it would be the most recent high-profile transfer from Ligue 1 to the Premier League. According to reports, Thuram might cost around £40 million, a long cry from Jude Bellingham’s £100 million price tag, who was hotly rumored to join Liverpool before choosing Real Madrid.
Price tags frequently prove to be a roadblock in discussions, but if they do show up, they can occasionally prove to be a burden for players. Darwin Nunez, who might cost up to £85 million, was blamed for his performance in his first season after joining from Benfica.
Just four years ago, Arsenal smashed their record transfer fee after winning the race to sign Ivory Coast attacker Nicolas Pepe. The forward, who was also heavily linked with Liverpool, swapped Lille for London for a reported £72m.
Three years on, he returned on loan to France’s top-flight with Nice after falling out of favour with Mikel Arteta. He made over 100 appearances for the Gunners, netting just 27 times while contributing 21 assists during his time in north London.
His best season came during the 2020/21 campaign, when he bagged 10 goals in 29 Premier League outings. He followed up last term with just one goal in 20.
The inconsistency that he suffered across his spell with Arsenal immediately raised suspicions as he tried to live up to the hefty price-tag that lured him away from northern France.
A number of factors have been suggested to have contributed to his struggles in the English top-flight. During his time in the capital, there was a lot of change from when he arrived under Unai Emery in 2019 to when he left under Arteta in 2022.
In addition, there was hierarchical restructures at London Colney which saw Raul Sanllehi and Huss Fahmy, the negotiator in the deal, soon depart. Former midfielder Edu would take up a role as technical director and appointed the Spaniard to instil their new philosophy.
Thuram would enter the game in a system that fit his style of play and would bring out the best in the midfielder. Not to mention Konate’s influence, who earlier referred to him as a younger brother and who may be crucial in persuading him to make the move and assisting him in adjusting to Jurgen Klopp’s methods.
Traditionally, the Reds have not been sucked into the trials and tribulations of the transfer market where they become locked in a bidding war for their targets. With Nicolo Barella linked, it looks like his £80m price tag will be too much for the chiefs at Anfield to shell out on.
Recent transfer windows have contributed to inflating the market, in particular for midfielders. Manchester United stole the march on Liverpool to sign Mason Mount but despite two offers fall significantly short of their £70m valuation. The aforementioned Inter Milan midfielder would rank among the record transfers to the Premier League should he arrive for that sum, while, Newcastle United are said to be closing in on Sandro Tonali for around £60m.
With the reported fee of £40m in mind, it would see Liverpool continue their shrewd business in the transfer market and strike positively as opposed to their rivals, namely Arsenal, who broke their record transfer fee to bring Pepe from France only to see the Ivorian depart branded as a ‘flop’.