Atletico Madrid now fear Marcus Thuram will move to a Premier League side. The Borussia Monchengladbach forward is also a free transfer target of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
That is according to ESPN, which reports Atletico Madrid will target Thuram once again this summer. The La Liga giants hoped to convince the striker to switch to Spain in the January sales. But he elected to stay in Germany with the 25-year-old set to be a free agent in July.
Now, Atletico Madrid will revive talks with Thuram in June once the Bundesliga season has finished. But Colchoneros chiefs are also working on alternative forwards they can bring to the Metropolitano. The club fears Thuram will reject their deals and instead go to England.
Borussia Monchengladbach also refused to sell Thuram in January with the nine-cap star in great form. The Parma, Italy-born France star has scored 10 and assisted three goals in 18 Bundesliga games this term. He also has three goals and an assist after two DFB-Pokal ties.
Atletico Madrid see Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias as an alternative to Thuram, who they also fear could join Bayern Munich. The record Bundesliga champions are alert to his form at Borussia-Park and may launch their own move. While Iglesias may also prove too costly.
Thuram’s transfer from Monchengladbach also interests Arsenal and Tottenham
One hope Atletico Madrid have is that Antoine Griezmann can convince Thuram of a move to La Liga. The France forward convinced Memphis Depay to leave Barcelona for them this January. But Diego Simeone wants to sign more rivals for Alvaro Morata and Angel Correa.
Arsenal and Tottenham may pose Premier League opposition in the race to sign Thuram in a free transfer, however. Milan Live has also cited the Gunners, plus Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, as potential suitors for the Borussia Monchengladbach striker, along with AC Milan.
While AS now reports that Tottenham will try to rival Atletico Madrid for Thuram’s transfer after Borussia Monchengladbach demanded €10-12m (£9-10.5m) in January. It also notes Liverpool like the 6 ft 3 dynamo, who will only join a club playing in the Champions League.
His form in the Bundesliga so far this season also saw Chelsea court a deal in January. But Foot Mercato reported Thuram rejected a potential transfer to Stamford Bridge in favour of becoming a free agent. Now, he will look to earn yet further suitors and praise in Germany.
“Thuram is a world-class striker,” Wolfsburg’s sporting director Marcel Schafer stated, via quotes by Kicker, back in October. “You have to say it like that. He has world-class stature.”
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