Newcastle want to steal a march on £52m Liverpool midfield target – journalist

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Newcastle United ‘want to speed things up’ in pursuit of reported Liverpool target Khephren Thuram.

This is according to Rudy Galetti, who spoke about the reported Magpies and Anfield target on GiveMeSport.

The Independent claimed in April that Liverpool have identified Thuram as an ideal solution for their midfield.

And last week, The Telegraph said the Nice midfielder is a “relatively new name” on the Newcastle wishlist.

He “would fit the model” of what the Magpies want to sign – promising young players.

Galetti’s update claims that Newcastle want to steal a march on rival suitors, amid links with Liverpool.

“Khephren Thuram is a midfielder who has enjoyed very good performances with Nice this season,” he wrote.

“(He) is attracting the attention of many clubs, including Chelsea, PSG, and at the moment above all Newcastle.

“To beat the fierce competition the Magpies want to speed things up, especially relating to the high possibility of qualification for the next Champions League where they want to arrive with a very competitive squad.”

‘Like Tchouameni’

Thuram is a player in high demand and Newcastle and Liverpool won’t be alone in their pursuit of the Frenchman.

The 22-year-old came through the ranks at Monaco before joining Nice in 2019 on a free transfer.

Thuram has become a key player for the Ligue 1 club, registering 114 appearances.

Get French Football News has described him as a ‘dynamic and direct deep-lying midfielder, who could also play as an outright sentinel’.

A different GFFN article compared the 6ft 4in ace to Real Madrid and France star Aurelien Tchouameni.

‘In many ways, Thuram isn’t so dissimilar to former Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni,’ they wrote.

‘Like Tchouameni, who joined Real Madrid this summer, Thuram lies somewhere between a number six and a number eight.’

However, Newcastle and Liverpool – plus all the other suitors – won’t be able to get Thuram for cheap. He reportedly has a £52million price tag.

Admittedly, that’s not bad for a player of his age and quality, but still, Nice will want to get a fair price for one of their main assets.