Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is considering a swoop for Nice midfielder Khéphren Thuram, who has been electric in Ligue 1 this season.
What’s the latest on Khéphren Thuram to Newcastle?
According to Football Insider, French outfit Nice are ‘open to bids of £60m’ for one of their most coveted assets, who has swiftly asserted himself as one of the country’s most talented young midfield options.
Indeed, the 22-year-old has also been of interest to the likes of Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United, according to 90min, which is a testament to his rapid ascent to prominence.
The one-cap Frenchman still has two years on his current deal, but with growing attention for his signature, his side might look to act swiftly and cash in while he can still garner a lucrative fee.
Should Newcastle sign Khéphren Thuram?
With such remarkable progress made under Howe’s tutelage and technical director Dan Ashworth’s sagacious transfer stratagems, some would be wary of disrupting the balance at St James’s Park.
The Magpies have soared into Champions League reckoning this term after years of instability and turmoil, and sit comfortably in third with just five matches of their Premier League campaign to contest, six points above fifth-placed Liverpool having played a game fewer.
But with the increase in match action and pressure that runs parallel with European football, new recruits are essential, and with Newcastle boasting the affluence and allure of an outfit capable of rivalling any top team for years to come, signings of Thuram’s ilk must be made, with the ace hailed as the “perfect profile” by RMC Sport reporter Alex Jaquin.
Having forged 135 matches for his side, Thuram has scored eight times and supplied a further 11 assists, with his recent call-up to the French national team an illustration of the expectation of his skill set.
This season, he has been an integral part of Nice’s system, playing 45 times, scoring two goals and registering eight assists, and has been hailed as “very hard-working” by manager Didier Digard.
He is indeed a relentless force; as per FBref, the £15k-per-week gem ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons, which illustrates just how robust he already is in the early phase of his career.
Should Howe pull off a transfer, it could be his greatest masterclass since the acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes in January 2022, a matter of months after the £300m PIF takeover and the catalyst for change on Tyneside.
Guimaraes was signed from Thuram’s divisional rivals Lyon for £40m and has gone on to become an instrumental part of his outfit’s emphatic success, with the Brazilian described as “world-class” by teammate Dan Burn and recording a Sofascore rating in the Premier League of 7.16 this season.
We think Thuram would only flourish alongside an established phenom in Guimaraes at the centre of Howe’s ship, and with his inclusion, the Toon might just edge closer to silverware and an established spot at the forefront of European football.