Major twist as Newcastle register interest in £55m Liverpool target; Reds ‘primary objective’ in danger
Newcastle United are poised to rival Liverpool for the signature of Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram this summer, according to reports.
It’s no secret that Jurgen Klopp is looking to further bolster his midfield, despite already signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton.
However, the Liverpool manager’s plans could be scuppered by Newcastle, who also have lofty transfer ambitions.
Indeed, Eddie Howe is charged with building a squad fit for the Champions League this summer.
He has already identified several high-profile players as potential incomings. For instance, Leicester City’s James Maddison is heavily linked with a switch to St James’ Park.
Also, they recently made a £50m bid for Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, which was rejected.
Interestingly, Liverpool and Chelsea also have an interest in Barella. But, Newcastle are expected to go back in with an improved offer for the Inter star.
Therefore, there is no doubting that Newcastle have a good amount of money to spend. Therefore, they pose a significant threat to Liverpool’s pursuit of Thuram.
As reported by Football365, the Reds have made signing Thuram their ‘primary objective.’ They believe they could sign him for a fee of £55m.
Although, Napoli are also known to be admirers of the 22-year-old. But, Newcastle are now seen as serious competitors for Thuram, too.
This is according to Football Insider, who claim the Magpies have included Thuram on their list of options to strengthen in the middle of the park.
The Nice star made 35 Ligue 1 appearances in 2022/23. In the process, he scored two goals and made four assists.
A strong defensive midfielder, Thuram is an imposing figure on the pitch. He makes an average of 1.1 tackles per game, and 1.5 interceptions.
Thuram is also tipped to get even better as he gains more experience. He is also keen to leave Nice this summer, after the French club missed out on Champions League qualification.
For Liverpool, he could be an excellent long-term replacement for Jordan Henderson. For Newcastle, he could provide some quality support for the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff.
However, Liverpool remain in the lead for Thuram, because Newcastle are only willing to spend £50m on him, as per Football Insider’s report.
With that in mind, if the Merseyside club do submit a £55m offer for the Frenchman, they will be the firm favourites to sign him.
But, as it stands, they are yet to make a concrete offer. So, it will be interesting to see how this story develop over the next couple of weeks.
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