The rumor mill is churning on Khephren Thuram, and the list of clubs circling the Juventus midfielder is getting long enough that you’d think he was giving away free samples. Calcio Mercato reports that Sunderland, Newcastle United, and Nottingham Forest have all made inquiries about the 25-year-old France international. And that’s just the appetizer.
Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be admirers. Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are lurking. Oh, and the European champions Paris Saint-Germain are in the mix too. So yeah, it’s crowded.
Thuram’s future in Turin is still up in the air. Juventus might be open to a deal, but with that many suitors, the price tag isn’t going south anytime soon. The midfielder has the kind of physical profile and technical composure that fits a bunch of different systems, which explains why half of Europe seems to have his number on speed dial.
Sunderland is the interesting one here. The Black Cats haven’t made a single signing yet this summer, and they’re staring down their first-ever Europa League campaign. That’s not a small deal. They need depth, they need quality, and they need it before August turns into a scramble. Director of football Florent Ghisolfi has publicly said stability is the priority for the rest of the window, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t kicking tires on a player like Thuram. It also helps that Granit Xhaka looks like he’s staying put despite Chelsea poking around. That gives the midfield some continuity, at least.
Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, is sitting on a pile of cash after cashing in Elliot Anderson for £115 million. That kind of financial flexibility means they can afford to take swings on big targets without sweating the budget. Forest has been aggressive in past windows, and Thuram fits the profile of a player who could walk into their midfield and make an immediate difference.
Newcastle’s interest is less surprising. The Magpies have been linked with just about every quality midfielder in Europe over the last 18 months. They have the money, they have the ambition, and they have Eddie Howe’s system that tends to make players like Thuram look even better than they already are.
No official bids have been made yet, at least none that have been confirmed. But with this many clubs making inquiries, it’s only a matter of time before someone turns that interest into an actual offer. Thuram isn’t getting younger, and Juventus isn’t getting any more patient.
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