Khephren Thuram insists that he always planned to stay at Nice despite reports linking him with a £50 million move to Premier League giants Liverpool and Newcastle United.
One of Europe’s most exciting young midfielders is unlikely to harbour any regrets either.
Nice, after all, are top of the Ligue 1 table, unbeaten in 11 games and boasting the best defensive record in Europe under their much-admired, 34-year-old head coach Francesco Farioli.
Khephren Thuram, meanwhile, continues to go from strength-to-strength. One of the first names on Farioli’s team sheet after turning his nose up at a potential summer switch to Liverpool or Newcastle United.
Liverpool and Newcastle United wanted Khephren Thuram
“I think I’ve started the season well. The team has, of course, had a very good start to the season,” Thuram, the younger brother of Inter Milan forward Marcus and the son of France legend Lillian, tells Get France Football News.
“I have developed aspects of my game.
“Regarding what happened in the transfer window, I decided to stay. I wanted to continue to progress at Nice, and progress as a player at this club. Honestly, it made me happy to be linked to all these clubs left, right and centre.
“It shows I’m doing the right things. But, as I said, I knew I wanted to stay here.”
Newcastle want a Sandro Tonali replacement
Fabrizio Romano reported at the start of the summer window that Liverpool had planned to open talks with Nice’s rangy playmaker, Thuram’s wonderful range of passing and almost Yaya Toure-esque ball-carrying catching the eye during the U21 European Championships.
Liverpool eventually turned their attention to Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister instead, perhaps after learning that Thuram had little interest in leaving the Allianz Riviera.
According to the Northern Echo, there was interest from Newcastle too, albeit prior to Sandro Tonali’s record-breaking arrival.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies will be back in the market for a central midfielder in January after losing Tonali to suspension, but Newcastle would likely be wasting their time renewing those Thuram links.
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