Liverpool’s Summer Targets: Former Target Available for Bargain Price

As Arne Slot prepares to take over from Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield dugout, speculation is starting to rise surrounding the Reds’ expected summer transfer business. Recent reports could open a door to a past midfield target as Slot aims to build his Liverpool squad.

Last summer saw Liverpool linked with a range of names in the midst of their midfield rebuild, with the likes of Manu Kone, Frenkie De Jong and Kephren Thuram all heavily linked. The latter of those names could be available for as little as £16m, as he enters the final year of his contract at Nice.

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With that being said, would Thuram still be an exciting proposition for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes?

Who is Kephren Thuram?

For those who may not remember, Thuram is a 23-year-old central midfielder currently playing for Nice in Ligue 1. The young midfielder is the son of footballing legend, Lilian Thuram, and the brother of current Inter Milan striker, Marcus Thuram.

Thuram has already racked up 165 appearances for the French side, since joining from AS Monaco’s academy back in 2019. The midfielder has also been a regular fixture this season, making 27 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal and assisting another.

His impressive performances for Nice put him on the radar of numerous elite clubs last year, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all linked with a move for the youngster.

Financial Adjustments

Last summer, Thuram was valued at around £40million, with the linked clubs ultimately opting to pursue other options. Liverpool would go on to sign Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo for a combined fee of £45million, whilst Manchester United would sign Sofyan Amrabat and Mason Mount and Chelsea splashed £115million on Moises Caicedo.

However, reports from France suggest that the Thuram could be available for between £15-20million this summer. This is despite his £35million valuation, according to Transfermarkt.com.

That change in price could certainly grab the attention of Liverpool, who could likely make up most of that cost with the potential sale of Wataru Endo. Even £20million for a player of Thuram’s ability and age profile, could prove to be a huge bargain.

Tactical Fit at Liverpool

Thuram’s versatility is really impressive, due to his ability to play as both an eight and a six, however it must be said that this is mostly in a three-man midfield. With the arrival of Arne Slot, it’s expected that Liverpool will switch to more of a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the deep-lying midfielders operating as a double pivot.

However, Thuram has often struggled so far this season when playing in a two-man midfield and has enjoyed most of his success as part of a three. Therefore, it’s hard to tell whether he would be a player that Arne Slot would like to build his team around but Thuram would definitely provide the physical presence that has been missing in Liverpool’s midfield since Fabinho’s departure, whilst also offering an impressive set of attributed on the ball, too.

Thuram: Yes or No?

If Liverpool were going into next season under Jurgen Klopp, then I think this would be a no-brainer as Thuram would fit the mould of a typical Klopp midfielder pretty perfectly. However, with Slot’s arrival, I’m not sure how well he would fit the system and he could in fact hinder the progress of the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones.

Should Endo leave for around £10million, for example, then Thuram would make a lot of sense. However, I still expect Liverpool to make a move for someone as high-profile as Alan Varela this summer.