Why Liverpool shouldn’t sign £32m French midfielder Khephren Thuram

Liverpool are reportedly tracking Nice’s Khephren Thuram but it is claimed they are not expected to proceed with a deal - and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Granted, he is a very talented young midfielder who will most likely make the move to a top club in Europe at some point in the next few seasons, however, there’s stronger targets for Jurgen Klopp to consider.

According to The Daily Mail, it’s now unlikely that Liverpool will make concrete steps to sign him. They claim that although the Reds have indeed ‘tracked’ Thuram, they are ‘not expected’ to take their interest any further at this stage.

Assessing their current targets, Liverpool are currently linked with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Mason Mount and Alexis Mac Allister and all three point towards Klopp wanting midfielders that not only work extremely hard, but also have an eye for goal.

Thuram has nine goals and 11 assists across 139 appearances for Nice and Monaco during his career so far.

With two goals and eight assists coming this season - which is a solid return - but he is yet to show he could take the step up to the Premier League, or even Europe’s elite competition.

With a deal to run until 2025, any deal for the Nice midfielder would likely be north of £50m and when comparing that deal to signing the likes of Mount or Mac Allister, it does struggle to stand up against those potential deals as they are more likely to come straight into the team and have a positive effect.

Thuram would no doubt provide energy and an ability to drive the team forward; he ranks high in the percentiles for progressive carries (95th) successful take-ons (93rd) and interceptions (71st).

But his lack of experience in Europe would be a key stumbling block when compared to their other targets - especially considering Liverpool will say goodbye to the likes of James Milner, Arthur Melo, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita this summer.

The former Monaco midfielder has played just 48 minutes of Champions League football across his career and his 10 appearances in the Europa Conference League this season remain the best exposure of his career to date.

In fact, Thuram may be the player Liverpool require in the future, after he’s had more years to develop, but, at least for now, the club will be better placed bringing in players for the present as they try to bridge the unassailable gap to Manchester City once again by signing proven talents.