Khéphren Thuram is a key transfer target for Liverpool this summer as the club looks to rebuild their midfield, and negotiations between new sporting director Jorge Schmadtke and Nice representatives have begun, as reported by L’Équipe and RMC Sport.
With the departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita, Klopp’s midfield needs significant reconstruction. The addition of Nice’s 22-year-old starlet could be crucial to any successful redevelopment of his midfield roster, but the question remains – what will he bring to Liverpool’s midfield?
A recent French international, the midfielder started his fledgling career with Nice’s Côte d’Azur rivals AS Monaco. He found minutes hard to come by with Les Monégasques, failing to make a senior appearance for the club. Aware of his immense but raw talent, Nice swooped to sign him on a free transfer in 2019 and since then Thuram hasn’t looked back.
The most striking detail of Thuram, for those who aren’t aware of his quality, is his surname. Of course, shared by World Cup-winning father Lillian and brother Marcus, who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach. Besides his famous footballing surname, Thuram’s well-versed skillset has made him one of the most in-demand Ligue 1 talents this summer. Throughout his development in his young career, he has featured in a number of positions and roles that could make him an extremely valuable and versatile option for the Reds.
Thuram’s Ligue 1 career started with him largely playing sporadic minutes as a defensive midfielder – a position he knows well. He made 16 appearances for Nice in the 2019/20 season with most coming as a substitute but already started to make an impression with the sheer speed it took him to adapt to playing at the top level of French football. The former Monaco midfielder only totalled 588 minutes in Ligue 1 in his first season but boasted some of the best defensive numbers in Europe. Thuram averaged 3.38 tackles per 90, as well as just under 4 blocks and clearances per 90 minutes. These numbers had to be taken with a pinch of salt, due to the very small sample size of minutes, but the early signs showed he had the quality to be a defensive stalwart and sit in front of the defence to great effect.
The 2020/21 season is when Thuram rose to prominence, gaining European experience in the Europa League and earning regular minutes as a starter. His role in the team began to evolve slightly, focused more on passing and ball retention than the combative nature of his first season but still featuring in the defensive area of the pitch. The arrival of Christophe Galtier at Nice in the 2021/22 season saw Thuram’s position change completely to a more advanced midfielder. However, his ability to feature in the defensive third of the pitch would add real versatility to Klopp’s midfield. Former Monaco teammate Fabinho struggled for form last season and started to look as though he lacked some of the mobility to cover the ground he covered previously. An ageing Jordan Henderson and the promising Stefan Bajcetic are Klopp’s other options for the defensive midfield position. Thuram could provide much-needed competition for Fabinho or just offer reliable cover if Fabinho suffers a long-term injury.
Despite Thuram’s recent evolution into a more complete midfielder who can contribute in the final third, he has previously stated that he believes he has to be responsible for the defensive third of the pitch. In an interview with club media in 2022 looking back on his season, he stated: “I defend better and win the ball back more than I did last season. That’s what is required of a midfielder“. His desire to win the ball back is likely to be a key reason why Klopp is interested in Thuram, especially given the Merseyside’s tactical reliance on counter-pressing.
Thuram’s early career progression as a defensive-minded midfielder has created a misconception of the Frenchman’s actual position or role in midfield. Christophe Galtier’s arrival at Nice has had a huge part to play in this. The arrival of the current PSG manager saw a formation change for Nice and a new depth of responsibility was asked of the French international. Galtier opted for a structured 4-4-2 in his time at Nice and Thuram featured on the left side of a midfield two. The evolution of Nice’s playing style under Galtier has seen Thuram evolve from a defensive midfielder into a much more complete operator. For the first time in his career under Galtier, he started to put up increased progressive passing numbers and an impressive number of progressive carries per 90 (3.08). This, however, was combined with the same defensive responsibilities in his earlier days and ruthless off-the-ball work expected of Galtier’s Nice. In addition, Thuram flourished into a final-third contributor with 4 goals and 3 assists in Ligue 1.
This ability to complete numerous roles and responsibilities at once indicates the high footballing intelligence that the Nice midfielder possesses. Klopp’s new inverted full-buck formation asks more of his midfielders. For example, Curtis Jones has thrived since the switch in tactics, as he is asked to press high and wide in half spaces while covering spaces whenever Andy Robertson progresses forwards in a swashbuckling fashion. Late runs into the box have also seen him contribute with goals – something Liverpool have largely lacked from their previously workman-like midfield. Thuram’s preference to feature in the left side of a midfield two/three and his ability to cover ground, press and make late runs into the box make him a perfect fit for this role.
Another asset Thuram could add to Klopp’s midfield is immense physicality. With his 6 ft 4 frame, Thuram would add a colossal presence at the heart of the Reds’ midfield. Thuram has previously expressed his desire to prove his muscular stature and If Liverpool can bolster the physique of Thuram as they have with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harvey Elliott in the past, Thuram could be a force to be reckoned with in midfield.
This season has been Thuram’s most impressive to date. Didier Digard’s stint as manager of Les Aiglons has seen the shackles released for Thuram as he has become the midfield general for Nice and a much more prominent asset in the final third. Thuram has a tremendous calmness with the ball as his feet. His towering posture allows him to beat defenders with power and poise and move Nice onto the front foot. The Italian-born midfielder acts as Nice’s chief ball progressor and one of the best in Europe – averaging 3.25 progressive carries per 90 and 1.62 successful take-ons. Thuram’s adept dribbling ability would suit Klopp’s demand of his midfielders to be comfortable on the ball and in tight spaces. Qualities that players like Harvey Elliott already possess in Liverpool’s midfield roster. Thuram’s increased responsibility has seen him foster a creative spark in his game too, notching eight assists this season for Nice in all competitions. By comparison, the most assists from a midfielder in Liverpool’s current squad is two.
Power, physicality, composure and versatility – Thuram has numerous qualities that make him a match made in heaven with Liverpool. And the best part is, he is far from the finished article. With Klopp’s guidance, he could become one of the best midfielders in Europe.
GFFN | Liam Wraith