FSG open talks to sign £43m “one-man army”

When Arne Slot lifted the Premier League trophy, 11 months after Jurgen Klopp bowed out, some rivals claimed the Dutchman was simply riding on the coattails of his predecessor’s dynasty.

Liverpool‘s almighty collapse during the 2025/26 campaign has done little to ease such claims, but it’s not true, Slot left Liverpool as a champion, but he did need to leave.

Andoni Iraola has inherited an imbalanced but immensely talented squad, and he will be expected to mount a title challenge with a high-octane tactical approach.

Liverpool and Iraola have a lot to prove, but they have the squad to make it happen, and with the right adjustments, could even surpass expectations.

Liverpool in talks to sign in-demand midfielder

All the noise is circling around RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who would be a credit to Liverpool’s frontline, stepping into Mohamed Salah’s un-step-in-able boots and perhaps making it work.

But Diomande won’t solve all of Liverpool’s problems. Alexis Mac Allister and co have been abject in midfield over the past year, and Iraola’s high-intensity approach will fall flat without one or two new parts.

According to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, Liverpool have made an enquiry with Juventus over a move for Khephren Thuram, who has recently rejected an advance from Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia.

With discussions expected to start at around €50m (£43m), the Reds could secure a shrewd(ish) signature here, with Mac Allister and Curtis Jones both rumoured to be on the move this summer – neither for a paltry figure.

Why Thuram can be a midfield upgrade for Liverpool

Thuram has been on Liverpool’s radar before. The Juventus star used to play for OGC Nice, and there he was earmarked by FSG as Klopp looked to rebuild his midfield.

Jordan Henderson and James Milner were off, and Georginio Wijnaldum had already departed two years before. In Thuram, it is Gini who could be reborn under Iraola’s management.

An all-encompassing presence, the 25-year-old Thuram has been hailed in the past as a “one-man army in midfield“, packing a punch but also boasting the organisation and sharpness to think on his feet and build up attacks.

He is elegant, and when he gets going, effortless. He has completed 62% of his dribbles in the Italian top flight this season, putting him in the top bracket there, and his ability to release the ball when in the perfect position is something that the energetic Wijnaldum also performed with aplomb when under the Anfield lights.

Wijnaldum. One of a kind. The former Netherlands international was immaculate on the ball, so intelligent and intuitive. He didn’t score many – although one or two of his goals are indelibly pressed in the minds of the Liverpool fanbase – but he was core part of the illustrious Klopp era.

With Mac Allister so horribly out of sorts, Liverpool need someone like Thuram to help rebuild their midfield. A connective muscle at the heart of the operation, a conduit through which the ball is passed from the defenders and then carried into the danger area, Thuram is the real deal, and it’s certainly worth remembering the fact that he has already been coveted by the Merseyside outfit.

Wijnaldum, now 35 and playing in Saudi Arabia, did not always take home the plaudits, but he was “irreplaceable” at Anfield, as once hailed by Richard Jolly, and you could argue that Liverpool still haven’t found a midfielder who can carry out the same duties, and to the same effect.

Thuram would be a wonderful addition at Liverpool this summer. At around £43m, he wouldn’t be too expensive, allowing for a bid to be maintained for the likes of Diomande, and his rejection of Saudi advances speaks toward his sporting integrity and desire to compete at the highest level.