Liverpool now looking at £42m “monster”

The World Cup is in full swing, but it won’t be long before attention is turned back to the Premier League in Liverpool.

In fact, many of the Merseyside persuasion are already focused on FSG’s transfer business at the start of the Andoni Iraola era, with attacking improvements needed.

Mohamed Salah’s departure has left a hole in Anfield’s attack. The 34-year-old’s almighty plummet from standards last season marked a huge factor in Arne Slot’s demise in the dugout, and now, he needs replacing.

Liverpool’s transfer attention needs to span deeper areas too. In midfield, it’s all gone a bit haywire for the Reds, who have set their sights on a former target to bring them back to form.

The midfield market is in overdrive at the moment, but with bids and rumours and everything in between flying across all corners, Liverpool are still biding their time.

That said, FSG have shown an interest in Morroco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the World Cup, though they will face stiff competition from Arsenal and Chelsea and Manchester City and more.

Bouaddi, rated at £85m by LOSC Lille, is only 18 years old, but plays with such maturity and grace. However, for interested suitors right now, signing him is going to be difficult, with the Ligue 1 side determined to keep him on board next season – even if an agreement is put in place now.

Liverpool cannot afford to fork out such a significant sum on a player who won’t be available for another 13 months; ergo, they must look elsewhere.

Well, according to reports from Italy, Liverpool are interested in signing Khephren Thuram from Juventus this summer, with the French midfielder permitted to leave Turin if his employers’ €50m (£42m) asking price is met.

Jurgen Klopp had a vested interest in the 25-year-old back in 2023. Then with OGC Nice, Thuram did not move to Merseyside, with Liverpool signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion instead.

Liverpool are joined by a host of outfits across the continent in eyeing a move for the elegant all-action midfielder. However, FSG will hope that their past interest could hold sway.

Why Thuram can be a better signing than Bouaddi for Liverpool

Bouaddi has the world at his feet, but Thuram would pack a firm punch from the outset under Iraola’s wing at Liverpool, and given that he would arrive for half the price, could prove a far better deal.

Analyst Sam McGuire even suggested that he would become a “monster” under Jurgen Klopp when Liverpool were initially interested. That didn’t happen, but he has since shown the requisite skill needed to grow into a superstar at a stadium such as Anfield.

Progressive on the ball and always determined to win it back when his team are pinched in possession, the Frenchman doesn’t have the same lofty ceiling as Bouaddi, but the Morocco international would cost a thumping sum this summer, and Liverpool would probably be forced to wait another year for him to grace the Premier League anyway.

Aged 18, there are hardly any guarantees that Bouaddi would cement himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League – especially from the get-go.

There are many variables to work around, but Thuram would tick a lot of boxes for a title-chasing team in transition. This is a well-rounded and energetic midfielder who likes to progress play. In a way, he shares a number of technical qualities with Bouaddi, and would provide something of the presence that many feel the Moroccan would add to Iraola’s squad.

Given that Thuram was profiled and earmarked before Klopp went with Mac Allister instead, there’s a case to be made that he could be a perfect fit now, replacing the struggling Argentine.

He has only matured over the past several years in Italy, and Thuram might just have the well-rounded skill set to fuel this exciting new era under Iraola’s wing.