Borussia Monchengladbach will ‘try everything’ to retain Bundesliga star Marcus Thuram as Premier League trio Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Aston Villa target the France international, director Roland Virkus tells Sky Germany.
It’s fair to say Oliver Neuville, Gladbach’s assistant coach, is not exactly holding his breath.
A couple of months ago, Neuville admitted that Thuram was ‘certain’ to attract offers from some of the biggest clubs on the continent. It would be ‘difficult’, he says, for Gladbach to retain his services beyond the summer.
Thuram’s contract expires in July.
According to BILD, the former Guingamp talisman has admirers at Newcastle and Aston Villa; Unai Emery determined to bring a skilful wide forward to Villa Park. Thuram, on a free, is far more affordable than some of the clubs other targets. Real Betis’ Luiz Henrique and Athletic Bilbao speedster Nico Williams are, for instance, valued in excess of £40 million.
Marcus Thuram could leave the Bundesliga on a free transfer
“I can’t promise that both (Thuram and left-back Ramy Bensebaini) will stay with us beyond the season. But we will try to talk to both of them again,” Virkus explains.
“We will try everything (to keep them). But there may also be a point in time when we just can’t keep up. When it comes to sums that Borussia simply can’t afford.”
Thuram, labelled a ‘world-class’ talent following a superb start to the Bundesliga campaign, is also a long-time target for Tottenham Hotspur. Antonio Conte’s London giants brought in Arnaut Danjuma in January. Their pursuit of Thuram may depend on whether the Villarreal loanee does enough to earn himself a permanent contract.
In 17 league starts, Thuram has 10 goals and three assists in 2022/23. The Golden Boot feels like a very real possibility too; Erling Haaland gone, Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona and the Chelsea-bound Christopher Nkunku consigned to a spell on the sidelines.
“Thierry Henry had the timing of the smartest footballers. He was also very strong physically, and technically he could do everything,” former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once told Der Spiegel.
“In fact, there’s a player in the Bundesliga who reminds me of him; Marcus Thuram from Borussia Monchengladbach.”
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