Newcastle United are interested in completing the signing of OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram in the summer transfer window, journalist Jonathan Johnson has claimed.
The Frenchman has already blossomed into a vital player for Nice, producing a string of excellent performances in a deep-lying midfield role this season. He has started 29 of his Nice's Ligue 1 matches, as well as making four appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League, being hailed for his "vision & playmaking skills" alongside his obvious pyhsical attributes - standing at 6 foot 4 - by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
At 22 with a lethal combination of size, strength and talent, Thuram looks set to have a huge future in the game and there is likely to be interest in him in the coming months, including from Premier League clubs. Newcastle it seems will be one of them, as they look to make their squad even more formidable heading into next season.
Speaking to Caught Offside, Johnson mentioned the Magpies' interest in the Nice star, along with Liverpool, and backed both to have a better chance of signing him than Chelsea:
"We've seen Chelsea linked with three French midfield players in the form of Adrien Rabiot, Manu Kone, and Khephren Thuram ahead of this summer.
"With top young talents like Kone and Thuram, who are looking for European football and who are likely to have other clubs in for them, it doesn't really make sense for them to jump to a club like Chelsea, where playing time isn't guaranteed and where there won't be the chance to play in Europe next season.
"When you think that Kone could also have interest from PSG and Thuram's being looked at by Liverpool and Newcastle, these would probably represent better moves for them to continue their progression."
Thuram is exactly the type of player that could elevate Newcastle to that next level moving forward, considering his reputation as arguably one of Europe's most exciting defensive midfielders. He could excel alongside Bruno Guimaraes in the middle of the park, acting as an upgrade on someone like Sean Longstaff, who can remain a key squad player but can be improved upon moving forward.
As a player, the one-cap France international looks like the full package, possessing both tackling tenacity and quality on the ball - he has averaged 1.1 interceptions per game in the league this season and registered six goal contributions (two goals and four assists) - and he would a long-term acquisition who could potentially become elite eventually.