Liverpool Could Sign “Xabi Alonso-Type” Midfielder This Summer

Liverpool target Kephren Thuram could be another Xabi Alonso-like midfielder at Anfield, believes Dean Jones.

The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Anfield this summer, and ‘has got quite a few people excited’ according to Jones.

Liverpool transfer news – Kephren Thuram

Liverpool remain in talks to sign Thuram this summer, but the midfielder’s current club, Nice, would love a bidding war for the 22-year-old, according to David Lynch of Football Insider.

Lynch also reported that the Reds could turn their attention to Ryan Gravenberch if a deal for Thuram fails to reach completion in the coming months.

Currently, the young midfielder is playing into the final two years of his contract with the Ligue 1 side; providing Nice with some power over the future of the 22-year-old.

Given the fact that Jurgen Klopp has already welcomed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer, too, it remains to be seen just how much is left of Liverpool’s budget.

What has Dean Jones said about Kephren Thuram and Liverpool?

Speaking to Football FanCast, when asked about Thuram, Jones said: “Liverpool would love another Xabi Alonso-type player and I think Thuram’s got quite a few people excited I think.

“When you go through the normal list of players that Liverpool are pursuing, Kone is always on there, Thuram’s always on there.”

How did Kephren Thuram perform in Ligue 1 last season?

Thuram was one of the few bright sparks in a disappointing campaign for Nice as a whole, as they sunk to a mid-table finish.

The young Frenchman did enough to earn a potential Liverpool move, however, as further backed up by the statistics.

If Liverpool are to complete a move for Thuram, he’d offer them something crucially different from midfield. According to FBref, for example, the reported target completed 3.25 progressive carries per 90 last season. For context, Jordan Henderson completed just 1.61.

A player of Thuram’s dribbling ability could help unlock defences where the likes of Henderson struggle at times, potentially handing the Reds’ midfield a whole new dimension.

Defensively speaking, too, the Nice man fits Jurgen Klopp’s pressing style, making 1.34 interceptions, and 1.80 tackles per 90, both of which are higher than the amount Henderson totalled in the last campaign at Anfield.

So, if Liverpool are to get Thuram, they could be getting themselves an upgrade in a midfield in desperate need of a rebuild.