French football pundit Luke Entwistle gives ECHO insights into how Khephren Thuram would fit in at Liverpool if he completes a transfer from Nice

Khephren Thuram looks set to be the next midfielder to top Liverpool’s list following the signing of Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League last season and were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 after failing to beat Real Madrid in the 2022 final replay.

Jürgen Klopp’s aim is to get his side back into contention in the 2023/24, but to do that he needs more signings, especially in midfield.

Last season showed just how much work the Reds’ engine room has to do and while Mac Allister is a start, at least one more addition is needed.

Thuram is high on Liverpool’s transfer agenda. But if the new French international moves from Nice to Merseyside, what kind of player would Reds boss Klopp have?

Jurgen Klopp has reportedly asked personally about Khephren Thuram. What would you add to Liverpool’s midfield?

“Verticality, ball progression and press aggression. Already an elite dribbler, Thuram uses his frame to drive through the third, and once in full swing he can be tough to stop.

“Given the departure, it’s perhaps unclear what the Liverpool midfield will look like, so having such a rounded box-to-box element will add an important degree of versatility to the mix.”

Thuram has also been linked with PSG. Would a move to Anfield be better for the youngster?

“The latest reports from Le Parisien suggest that PSG are not interested in chasing the Nice midfielder this summer.

Like Liverpool, it is difficult to know what PSG’s midfield will look like next season. Verratti, a fixed value in the team, is linked to a move, while a new manager will also take over. “Despite this transitional era at Liverpool, the club is a more stable option than PSG.”

Is Thuram destined to become a star of the French national team?

“Something of a golden generation of French midfielders is emerging. Kante and Pogba are less present on the international scene due to injuries, and have been for a few years, but their successors are already playing for big clubs.”

Tchouameni has had a difficult second half of the season but he is likely to bounce back and has already established himself as a regular under Deschamps. Camavinga has been used at left-back by Les Bleus lately, but he is young and will likely return to midfield soon.

Others have also qualified, while Guendouzi and Youssouf Fofana, both slightly older than Thuram, have been favorites in the past.

However, despite playing for struggling Nice this season, Thuram has made it through the squad. help the team win the European championship, but should establish himself in the senior league quite soon.

With Deschamps still preferring a three-man midfield, there is room for him, and a big summer move will only further the search for him.”

What are Thuram’s strengths?
“I’ve already touched on his strengths a little bit, but he’s a great dribbler. He has a good range of passing and is combative and intelligent in the press.”

What should Thuram improve as he gains experience?
“His biggest weakness is the end product.

Eight goals and 11 assists in 138 appearances for Nice are not enough for a player of his talent and profile. He definitely needs to add numbers to his game and be a bit more selfish at times. He’s often guilty of passing when he should be shooting.”

Read also………….

Big midfield hint from Jurgen Klopp as ‘astonishing’ Liverpool option emerges.

In England’s Euro 2024 qualifying match against Malta on Friday, Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold excelled while playing in midfield.

It persisted throughout Liverpool’s ultimately unsuccessful season. The Reds midfield has come under the most intense scrutiny since the first Premier League weekend in August, when Thiago Alcantara hobbled off hamstrung and both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were far behind the pace.

The fact that 12 different players began a game in the engine room—and don’t forget that on-loan Arthur Melo never made it that far—underscores how Jurgen Klopp was compelled to switch up his lineups throughout the campaign in search of the ideal chemistry.

The key to unlocking Liverpool’s midfield in the latter part of the season and giving them hope of an unlikely Champions League qualification up until the last few days, however, was one player who didn’t start a single game in the position.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s transformation into an inverted right-back and temporary double pivot role alongside Fabinho was the result of a tactical change, which helped the Reds go 11 games without losing. During that time, Alexander-Arnold notched one goal and seven assists.

A much-changed team lost 1-0 at Chelsea in a match sandwiched between both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Roma in 2018, and Alexander-Arnold started in the back three only once for Klopp. He was used frequently in midfield during his Academy years before being converted into a playmaking right-back.

However, according to some observers, the 24-year-old’s future is in the middle of the field. Alexander-Arnold started there for England in their Euro 2024 qualifier on Friday night in Malta, which raised some intrigue.

He had obviously started games for his nation in the middle of the field before. However, the experiment of using him in defensive midfield against Andorra in September 2021 was abandoned after 45 minutes as Chelsea right-back Reece James, who had previously filled the position, switched positions more effectively.

Due to the Liverpool man’s outstanding contribution, there was no chance of an early termination this time. The difference between the performances was like night and day, with Alexander-Arnold quickly emerging as a natural in the number 10 shirt. England manager Gareth Southgate used Alexander-Arnold on the right of the midfield with Henderson on the left and Declan Rice of West Ham United as the number 6.

Yes, the opposition he faced in the last few Premier League games was far tougher than Malta. However, that would not have changed the weight of the pass that sent Bukayo Saka scurrying clear to force the own goal for the opening goal or the ferocious drive that flashed into the top corner from 20 yards for England’s second goal.

And it was Alexander-Arnold’s increased appetite, which Southgate believes has recently “invigorated” the player, that allowed him to regain possession and initiate the sequence that led to a penalty that Harry Kane won and successfully converted.

The Liverpool player has improved over the past few months in terms of his body shape, which makes him more at ease when receiving the ball in midfield and keeps him perpetually on the attack. He did not shirk any of his admittedly meager defensive duties, though.

Between the two occurrences where Alexander-Arnold started for England in midfield, there had been 21 games. The next one won’t require as much of a wait based on this evidence. Additionally, it would have given Klopp something to ponder as he considers how to best restructure his engine room options for the upcoming season.

Alexander-Arnold’s remarkable career may be moving into the next phase right now. He does appear to belong in midfield more so the more often he plays there.