Meeting held: FSG in concrete Liverpool move to sign “tenacious tackler” alongside Mac Allister

The Nice midfielder has been a long-term transfer target of FSG and Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Liverpool have held a meeting with the representatives of Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram regarding a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

Are Liverpool signing Khephren Thuram?

Thuram has made a total of 138 appearances at the Allianz Riviera since joining from AS Monaco back in 2019, and despite his contract not expiring for another two years, in recent weeks, he’s been highlighted as an ideal target for Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside.

Back in April, The Independent first credited the Reds with an interest in the 22-year-old with the boss thinking that he perfectly fits the profile of central reinforcement that he’s looking for having pulled out of the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, journalist Jonathan Johnson has since claimed that the France international is still very much being “looked at” by FSG, and if the following update is to be believed, there’s a strong chance that he could be imminently on his way to Anfield.

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Liverpool have been in talks over a summer deal for Thuram for a “few weeks” to discover what it would take to complete a switch and have made their move “more concretely” than others.

The Reds have even already “held a meeting” with the defensive midfielder’s camp, and it’s stated that the idea of joining is “liked”. Nice “aren’t ready to sell”, and whilst it remains to be seen what his price tag would be, there is expected to be a “lot of competition” for his signature.

Should Liverpool splash the cash on Thuram?

Liverpool are clearly serious about landing Thuram, despite seemingly being close to signing Alexis Mac Allister, having progressed to the stage of negotiations that they have and it’s no surprise that he’s being targeted having been dubbed a “tenacious tackler” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so should the board be able to successfully secure his services, it could be a shrewd move.

Nice’s 6 foot 4 colossus, who pockets £14.5k-per-week, averaged 1.5 tackles per league game last season hence his nickname, but was also a threat at the opposite end of the pitch having recorded ten goal contributions (eight assists and two goals) across all competitions.

Even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, Thuram is constantly looking to produce moments of quality for himself and his fellow teammates having made 84 shot-creating actions in 2022/23 which was higher than any of his peers, via FBRef, so for someone who possesses the ability to positively impact the game both defensively and offensively, FSG could be making a smart move.

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Dortmund director Kehl hints door still open for Liverpool to sign Bellingham

Liverpool’s hopes of landing Jude Bellingham appeared to be all but trashed following Real Madrid’s early swoop ahead of the opening of the summer window.

The Merseysiders have already moved on to alternative targets, with it being exclusively revealed to Empire of the Kop that Anfield is the No.1 option for Manu Kone, as things currently stand.

That being said, Jorg Schmadtke and Co. may have to holster their plans for the moment if Fabrizio Romano’s update on Twitter, relaying BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl’s comments, has anything to say about it.

Borussia Dortmund director Sebastian Kehl on Bellingham deal: “I can say that things will become clear in the next few days and weeks”. 🟡⚫️ #BVB

“One of my tasks is to be prepared for everything. We would react accordingly. But nothing has happened at the moment”. pic.twitter.com/fsOgII2cMc

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2023

Whilst far from ruling out Los Blancos’ interest in the Englishman, or the existence of talks between the midfielder and Madrid-based outfit, it suggests that things are a little more up in the air than various sections of the media are claiming.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Liverpool’s chances of landing Manu Kone, likely asking price, Schmadtke involvement, and more

READ MORE: Jaw-dropping Khephren Thuram propaganda from March will have LFC fans demanding summer transfer

Could Liverpool still sign Jude Bellingham this summer?

Just hold back the eye-rolls and groans for one second.

We’re in full agreement with most that a move to L4 at this stage is HIGHLY unlikely. Certainly, interest expressed in the likes of Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone – whilst a move for Alexis Mac Allister is said to be steadily approaching total completion – hardly indicates that we’ve left the door open for Bellingham.

Could it be? Could Jude Bellingham still end up at Liverpool after all? – (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Still, it’s hard to imagine Jurgen Klopp dismissing the prospect like a scorned lover if there was any hope of us mounting a hijack of sorts.

It’s a slim possibility until further details emerge and we know the German will have absolutely no interest in seeing the club engage in a protracted battle for a player’s signature. Even one as talented as the Borussia Dortmund ace.

We could yet eat our words here, though only time will tell in that regard.

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