Liverpool could finally replace key attribute Gini Wijnaldum with savvy midfield signing
latest midfielder to be linked with a move to Anfield
After Liverpool ended their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund and England superstar Jude Bellingham earlier this month, OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram is the latest player to be linked with a move to Anfield before a summer of significant changes at the club.
As things stand, the Reds will lose Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and possibly James Milner at the end of June once their contracts expire. Meanwhile, Arthur Melos’ crushing stint on Merseyside will find a merciful end with his return to Juventus as Liverpool have no desire to turn their loan move into a permanent one, despite a pre-agreed fee with the giants of Serie A. The Anfield powers’ decision to park their interest in Bellingham in favor of a more sensible approach to rebuilding their midfield, although not too popular initially, given the obvious problems with the Reds’ season, is largely due to a weakness in the center attributed to the park.
With Thiago Alcantara celebrating his 32nd birthday earlier this month and Jordan Henderson turning 33 out of season, Jurgen Klopp knows the influence of the Spaniard and his longtime captain will diminish in the campaigns to come and now he must move quickly to reduce the average age and mileage of its current options with a handful of new additions. Furthermore, the recent tactical ploy involving Trent Alexander-Arnold, which sees the number 66 move to a more central position in possession, has added even more importance to the need for mobility next season, with Ibrahima Konate and Henderson as the two players currently on the task. covering the empty space of the right back.
Despite the small sample size of Klopp’s tag, recent Premier League matches against Arsenal and Leeds United have highlighted Konate’s prominence through his renowned athleticism and frontal approach to defence.
But with the Frenchman struggling with a string of muscle injuries this season, it’s likely the Liverpool manager won’t be able to fully pin his hopes on his new 3-2-2-3 formation for years to come and therefore will continue to test this summer window plans as originally planned, despite the recent bloom of Alexander-Arnold.
Thuram is the latest player under consideration by outgoing sporting director Julian Ward for an active summer in the red half of Merseyside, according to the Independent. And to Liverpool’s satisfaction, the possible arrival of 1998 World Cup winner Lillian’s son could mean the return of a coveted trait to the Anfield ranks: stamina. Remarkably, Thuram has been involved in all 44 matches in all three of Nice’s leagues this season: Ligue 1, Europa Conference League and Coupe de France. Indeed, the 22-year-old has started all but five games for both of the club’s managers this season, with outstanding numbers backed up by four caps in different age groups for the France international.
Sturdiness is a luxury Liverpool have no longer enjoyed since the departure of Gini Wijnaldum in the summer of 2021, and over the next two seasons Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Thiago, Henderson, Arthur, Keita and Stefan Bajcetic played significant roles in the team i miss watching football. calendar due to injuries of various degrees.
Indeed, only Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker have amassed more league minutes than Thuram’s 2,254 in 31 Lige 1 games so far in 2022/23.
After losing just three of their 16 Ligue 1 games in 2023 and starting a 12-game unbeaten run from mid-January to April, the Allianz Riviera side in 2023 were one of the most captivating sides in Ligue 1. the UEFA Conference League next season.
Such an excellent run of results came from interim manager Didier Digard who favored a 4-3-3 formation from the start of the year, with Thuram deployed mainly on the left side of a midfield trio; a position Thiago would normally operate in for the Reds. And while a small collection of metrics would indeed highlight that the former Bayern Munich star and the Nice youngster are very different operators and therefore any talk of Thiago’s long-term replacement should be quashed. immediately, Thuram’s more mobile methods could allow Liverpool to consolidate. their engine room for years to come when the next step in Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield story is to choose him as the Reds’ chief midfield architect.
The new France international, who is just under 1.80m tall, has impressed as a possession midfielder this season, registering two goals and eight assists in 44 appearances in all competitions.
According to Fbref, he has made the most interceptions (34) and the second most tackles (18) of any all-time midfielder at Nice this season. In fact, only Thiago (4.70) and James Milner (3.98) have a 90-per-higher tackle + interceptions average than Thuram (3.24).
Such stats make it unsurprising that Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona have all been credited with an interest, with Fbref Thuram in the 98th and 93rd percentiles of Europe’s top five leagues over the past 365 days. for progressive carry ratings (3.34). and successful acquisitions (1.60).