According to reports, Nice’s desire to retain Khephren Thuram for another season has thrown Liverpool a setback in their pursuit of the player this summer.
The 22-year-old center midfielder played in 35 Ligue 1 games for Le Gym last season, making two goals and six assists from that position.
Thuram is currently on international duty with France Under-21s as they attempt to win the European Championship trophy at that particular age group. He last played club football on May 13 when Nice lost 2-0 at Strasbourg.
Thuram played 65 minutes before being substituted by Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki on Thursday as Sylvain Ripoll’s team defeated Italy to open Group D play with a perfect score.
The Daily Mail reports that Nice wants to keep Thuram at the team for another season, and that choice might have a significant impact on Liverpool’s transfer window.
Although Alexis Mac Allister was acquired from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month, Jurgen Klopp is still anxiоus to improve his team’s engine room in preparation for the upcoming campaign.
Many midfielders, notably Naby Keita and the seasoned James Milner, have left Liverpool. The 37-year-old is now playing for the Amex as Roberto De Zerbi’s Seagulls try to win the Europa League next season.
Thuram is not said to be the Merseyside club’s only midfield target; the Reds are also thought to have made a £47 million approach for Real Madrid starlet Aurelien Tchouameni, though it is anticipated that Los Blancos will only allow the Frenchman to depart for closer to £68 million.
According to the report, the Nice midfielder won’t decide on his future until after this summer’s international duty with France is over. This means Liverpool may not find out if the player is interested in moving to Anfield until the middle of July.
Romeo Lavia is rumored to be the next player to travel the well-traveled route from Southampton to Merseyside, and Jurgen Klopp’s team is debating whether to compete with Arsenal for the Belgian international.
During his first season as a regular starter in the Premier League, the 19-year-old attracted attention for the Saints, but despite his encouraging performances, the South Coast club was unable to avoid being demoted to the Championship.
When compared to Lavia, Thuram is unquestionably the more seasoned midfielder due to the Frenchman’s 138 appearances for Nice since signing on a free transfer from Monaco in the summer of 2019.
The player has only made one senior-level appearance for France, a one-minute cameo against the Netherlands. A transfer to the Premier League, though, might improve his prospects of becoming a fixture in Didier Deschamps’s team sooner rather than later.
