Newcastle Could Find Bruno’s Dream Partner In £22m-Rated Gem
Newcastle United are reportedly showing an interest in Nice midfielder, Khephren Thuram, ahead of the summer transfer window.
What's the latest on Thuram to Newcastle?
According to journalist Chris Waugh – speaking in a Q and A for The Athletic – the Magpies' head of recruitment Steve Nickson is said to be an admirer of the 22-year-old, with the young Frenchman potentially set to be an 'intriguing option' for the top-four hopefuls.
Waugh also noted that the Tynesiders' have 'asked to be kept informed' regarding the situation surrounding Thuram's older brother, Marcus, with the 25-year-old also attracting attention with just a matter of months left to run on his existing deal.
In the case of Khephren, the Italy-born starlet has seemingly been on the radar of those at St James' Park over an extended period of time, with the Daily Mail reporting back in January that the midfield maestro had been the subject of 'glowing reports' from the club's scouting department.
How would Khephren Thuram fit in at Newcastle?
As journalist Damien Spellman noted, it is seemingly 'glaringly obvious' that the centre of the park is one area that Eddie Howe and co will be looking to strengthen this summer, with the Englishman's options having been depleted following Jonjo Shelvey's departure to Nottingham Forest.
The signing of young Thuram would then help to provide both depth and quality competition to Howe's current options, with there a potential for the 6 foot 4 sensation to form a dream midfield partnership with another former star of Ligue 1, Bruno Guimaraes.
The latter man – who arrived from Lyon on a £40m deal back in January 2022 – has been a leading presence for the northeast side over the last year or so, having been hailed as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn due to his stellar impact in English football thus far.
The Brazilian gem has notably averaged an impressive 2.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game from his 20 league outings this term as a marker of his midfield influence, with Thuram also able to provide a ball-winning presence as he has averaged 1.5 and one for the same two metrics, respectively, from 28 league appearances.
The two men would also be able to complement each other due to their differing strengths, with Guimaraes potentially offering a more forward-thinking approach due to his superior record with regard to progressive passes this season (127 to 94), as per FBref, although Thuram is far more adept at driving forward from deep, shown by his superior record with regard to progressive carries (66 to 21).
Such an elite duo would also be able to provide the benefit of their quality off the ball, with the current Newcastle man having been hailed by pundit Jamie Redknapp for his "work ethic", while the Nice ace has been described as "very hard-working" by manager, Didier Digard.
To have two standout, classy individuals who are also willing to do the dirty work is a rare commodity, with the signing of Thuram – who is valued at around £22m by CIES Football Observatory – set to be a notable solution to Howe's midfield problem.