Liverpool have been uninspiring this season after so many years of excellent work under Jurgen Klopp's management, and have targetted thriving midfielder Khéphren Thuram to bolster the pack ahead of the new campaign.
What's the latest on Khephren Thuram to Liverpool?
According to 90min, the 21-year-old has admitted that he is aware of the mounting interest in his signature ahead of the summer transfer window after receiving a maiden call-up to France's international squad, with the Reds joined by top-flight rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United in vying for a deal.
Inter Milan, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain all have one eye on the rising star too, and Liverpool would be wise to make the requisite moves to tie up a deal swiftly, before rival suitors pluck him from OGC Nice.
Journalist Jacque Talbot tweeted in January to confirm that the Reds had held talks with the player, also stating that a fee of at least £30m would be demanded to prise him away from Ligue 1, with the ace out of contract in 2025.
How would Thuram fare at Liverpool?
The tension currently bubbling away at Anfield has scarcely been felt at the club for a multitude of years, with Liverpool languishing seven points outside the top-four and defeated in every cup competition this season, despite winning last year's FA Cup and Carabao Cup trophies and reaching the final of the Champions League.
The failures of the midfield have been illuminated by the likes of The Athletic, describing the inability to protect the defence and a collective loss of cohesion as contributing factors behind the decline.
By completing a deal for Thuram, Klopp could make a major stride toward rekindling the fire that has waned, with the Frenchman having already made 128 appearances for his outfit, scoring eight goals and providing 11 assists.
Hailed as having "the perfect profile" by journalist Alex Jaquin, the assiduous midfielder has impressed this term, registering an average rating of 7.03, as per Sofascore, completing 87% of his passes, creating seven big chances and forging 1.5 tackles per match.
His assured passing and the robustness of his all-encompassing arsenal certainly hint toward a prosperous career, providing Liverpool with a high-octane component that has been discernibly lacking.
Liverpool need greater transitional efficacy to revitalise the centre, and with the £15k-per-week machine ranking among the top 3% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, there is undoubtedly an allure to snatching his signature, precocious in his abilities as the central engine.
With a swoop, Klopp could even wield his own version of Federico Valverde, who has been imperious for Real Madrid over the past several years and is listed by FBref as a comparable player to the Nice ace.
The Uruguayan, who Liverpool were interested in last year, himself ranks among the top 8% of midfielders for progressive carries per 90, valued at an incredible £141m by CIES Football Observatory and playing a defence-splitting and match-winning assist to sink the Liverpool ship in the UCL finale last term.
Once hailed as "unbelievable" by Premier League icon Joe Cole, Valverde's signature may have slipped through Klopp's fingers like sand in the past, but replicating his exploits in the mould of Thuram could yet restore the once unrelenting intensity to Anfield once again.
