Liverpool will be keeping a keen eye on how this Serie A season pans out, with the possibility of poaching Khephren Thuram from Juventus dependent on how these final weeks go.
As Arne Slot looks to address the problems that have kept his side out of the title race this season, we can expect recruitment efforts focused on the middle of the park. Liverpool’s midfield is a big problem this season.
Liverpool have looked at Thuram, a versatile French midfielder who has established himself as a key star in Luciano Spalletti’s side.
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It was thought that the 25-year-old would extend his contract after the January window, but the very real possibility of Juventus missing out on Champions League football next season offers a lifeline to Liverpool in their pursuit.
Juventus might be forced to sell Liverpool target Khephren Thuram
The Old Lady hasn’t exactly been the dominant force in Italian football that we saw for much of the 2010s. Their highest Serie A finish this decade is third.
At the moment, they sit in fifth, three points behind Cesc Fabregas’s Como and 15 points off the top. If they can’t get back into the top four, it will mean some tough decisions have to be made.
A report from La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Thuram is the most likely casualty should Juventus miss out on the Champions League next season. Contract negotiations are at a standstill, and the running theory is that they are waiting to see how the rest of the season pans out.
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It’s not just that Juventus would miss out on £60 million-odd for partaking in the competition, but it might also make Thuram second-guess his future in Turin.
Liverpool need more physicality in central areas, and the 6’3″ powerhouse would certainly help in that regard. If Juventus accept the sale as necessary, there will be competition. Man United have long held an interest in him as well.
Thuram’s physical attributes would offer something quite different to Liverpool than what they have currently, and he’s good enough on the ball to be a regular starter for Slot. He has been called ‘extraordinary’ by his coaches in the past.
It might all come down to Juventus and their fortunes in the next two months.
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