Liverpool ‘most likely’ to sign ‘seduced’ €40m Newcastle midfield target next as major offer is lined up
According to reports, Khephren Thuram – who is being linked with Newcastle – is ‘most likely’ to be Liverpool’s next signing after Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool have already paid around £35m to sign Mac Allister from Brighton but they are still looking to sign one or two more midfielders before next season.
Thuram is one player they are being heavily linked with following his emergence for Nice. He has played 138 times for the Ligue 1 outfit and he’s also earned one senior cap for France.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Liverpool have attempted to ‘seduce’ Thuram as he is their ‘priority’ transfer ‘objective’ after Mac Allister.
In recent days, a spanner has been thrown into the works as Newcastle United have reportedly registered their interest in Thuram.
The Magpies are seemingly keeping their opens open, though. Nicolo Barella, Sandro Tonali and James Maddison are among their other midfield targets.
Nice-Matin (via Get Football News France) are reporting that Liverpool are ‘expected to submit a bid for Thuram’ and it is claimed that Nice ‘won’t sanction the departure for a transfer fee lower than €40m [£34m]’.
Now journalist Neil Jones is reporting that Thuram is ‘most likely’ to be Liverpool’s next signing as he is preferred over Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone.
“The signing of Alexis Mac Allister may be done and dusted, but midfield remains a priority for Liverpool in this summer’s transfer market,” Jones told Caught Offside.
“Mac Allister is a significant signing to strengthen Jurgen Klopp’s options, but it’s never been a secret that the club ideally wanted two or even three new signings in that position.
“Obviously Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone have been mentioned. From my understanding, Thuram is the likeliest out of those – the profile of him, his physique, his age, the club he’s playing at, the kind of money that would be involved – I think he perfectly fits the bill.
“It remains to be seen how willing Nice are to let him go, and I think the fact that there looks like a number of midfield players likely to move soon in this market means that Nice might just be waiting to see the how the dominos fall, and what kind of price they can get for him.
“Still, I think Liverpool and Thuram, even if it hasn’t moved much in the last seven days and a fee hasn’t yet been agreed, he’s definitely been identified as someone Liverpool want.”
