Newcastle United have reportedly held talks with OGC Nice over a summer move for Khephren Thuram, who is valued at €40 million by the French outfit.
In an exclusive for NUFCBlog.co.uk, Jacque Talbot has revealed that Newcastle United are interested in raiding Nice for the signing of 21-year-old midfielder Khephren Thuram and have held talks with the Ligue 1 club multiple times this summer to explore the possibility of acquiring the French Under-21 international, who is valued at around €40 million.
A product of AS Monaco’s famed youth setup, Khephren Thuram moved to OGC Nice in the summer of 2019. Despite being the son of legendary French defender Lilian Thuram and putting up some incredibly promising displays in recent seasons, the 21-year-old has not grabbed the headlines linking him with high-profile moves.
But he has now quietly started to build his reputation and make a name for himself in Ligue 1. Thuram has steady progress since making his professional debut at just 17 years of age in November 2018.
He was only utilised as an impact substitute or a bit-part player in his first couple of seasons at Nice but rose to prominence this past term under Christophe Galtier, establishing himself as a starter. The French midfielder made 41 outings in all competitions for Les Aiglons and chipping in with four goals and three assists.
Thuram’s progress at the Ligue 1 club has not gone unnoticed, with Juventus and PSG among his prospective suitors. PSG are touted to be a strong contender, with Galtier set to take over from Mauricio Pochettino at Parc des Princes. Now, Newcastle have also jumped on the bandwagon as Eddie Howe looks to add even more steel to his midfield ranks.
Having comfortably secured survival last term, European football and competing for the Premier League title is the next aim for the Newcastle’s ambitious owners. But that could take years in the making.
As such, after securing a strong core of experienced proven Premier League players in recent windows, Newcastle are expected to turn their attention towards nipping the emerging future stars from under the noses of the elites as they look to change their fortunes in the top-flight and, in general, the English football ladder in the coming years.
The deals to bring Kilmarnock youngster Charlie McArthur and Lille’s highly-rated Dutch defender Sven Botman to St. James’ Park have been agreed. But the Magpies are seemingly not finished there and have now set their sights on Khephren Thuram.
An all-action midfielder, Thuram’s style of play has often been likened to his former coach Patrick Vieira due to his sheer physical strength, energy, strong defensive actions, ball control, progressive attributes and an indistinctive eye for goal. At the age of just 21, he is already showing that he can consistently perform to a good standard and will undoubtedly add more quality to Newcastle’s roster.
That said, with the French midfielder valued at around the €40 million mark, it is unlikely Newcastle would spend a big slice of their relatively modest budget on a midfielder, with a central striker and right-sided attacker clearly high on Howe’s agenda at the moment.
