Khephren Thuram could become the 19th French player to sign for Liverpool should the Reds lure him from OGC Nice.
While there is buzz aplenty around the 22-year-old, the France youngster is playing at the European Championships in Georgia and Romania.
Les Bleus haven't been crowned as the best team in Europe at that level since 1988 with the likes of Laurent Blanc and Eric Cantona in the squad, and Thuram will be hoping to emulate the former Manchester United duo this summer.
Regardless of whether he emerges victorious, many consider Thuram as one of the key additions this summer that can slot in alongside fellow arrival Alexis Mac Allister on Merseyside.
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Liverpool face a midfield overhaul after a number of factors contributed to their woes last season. Many have highlighted the lack of signings or the ageing players currently occupying positions in the engine room. Now with three of their options having left as free agents, change is afoot with Thuram reportedly earmarked as one of the players to fit the bill.
Should the move come to fruition, it would be the latest big-money move from Ligue 1 to the Premier League. Reports suggest that Thuram could cost in the region of £40m, a far cry from the £100m in excess for Jude Bellingham - who was fiercely tipped to sign for Liverpool prior to his move to Real Madrid.
Price tags often prove to be a stumbling block for negotiations but if they materialise, sometimes it can prove to be a burden for players. Many pointed fingers at Darwin Nunez - who could cost up to £85 million - and his performance during his debut season after a transfer from Benfica.
Just four years ago, Arsenal smashed their record transfer fee after winning the race to sign Ivory Coast attacker Nicolas Pepe. The forward, who was also heavily linked with Liverpool, swapped Lille for London for a reported £72m.
Three years on, he returned on loan to France's top-flight with Nice after falling out of favour with Mikel Arteta. He made over 100 appearances for the Gunners, netting just 27 times while contributing 21 assists during his time in north London.
His best season came during the 2020/21 campaign, when he bagged 10 goals in 29 Premier League outings. He followed up last term with just one goal in 20.
The inconsistency that he suffered across his spell with Arsenal immediately raised suspicions as he tried to live up to the hefty price-tag that lured him away from northern France.
A number of factors have been suggested to have contributed to his struggles in the English top-flight. During his time in the capital, there was a lot of change from when he arrived under Unai Emery in 2019 to when he left under Arteta in 2022.
In addition, there was hierarchical restructures at London Colney which saw Raul Sanllehi and Huss Fahmy, the negotiator in the deal, soon depart. Former midfielder Edu would take up a role as technical director and appointed the Spaniard to instil their new philosophy.
For Thuram, he would arrive in a system that would be suited to his preferences which would bring out the best of the midfielder. Not to mention the influence of Konate, who previously described him as a little brother, who could play a key role both in convincing him of the move and helping him acclimatise to the ways of Jurgen Klopp.
Traditionally, the Reds have not been sucked into the trials and tribulations of the transfer market where they become locked in a bidding war for their targets. With Nicolo Barella linked, it looks like his £80m price tag will be too much for the chiefs at Anfield to shell out on.
Recent transfer windows have contributed to inflating the market, in particular for midfielders. Manchester United stole the march on Liverpool to sign Mason Mount but despite two offers fall significantly short of their £70m valuation. The aforementioned Inter Milan midfielder would rank among the record transfers to the Premier League should he arrive for that sum, while, Newcastle United are said to be closing in on Sandro Tonali for around £60m.
With the reported fee of £40m in mind, it would see Liverpool continue their shrewd business in the transfer market and strike positively as opposed to their rivals, namely Arsenal, who broke their record transfer fee to bring Pepe from France only to see the Ivorian depart branded as a 'flop'.
