Liverpool are ‘closing in’ on their second signing of the summer transfer window as the club now ‘expect’ to complete a deal for Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram.
The Reds have been strongly linked with the player who has also broke into the senior set-up with France this year having represented his country at various age groups.
Thuram had also been attracting interest from the likes of Newcastle United and Nice had been hopeful of a bidding war to drive up the price for the player.
The 22-year-old has made 138 appearances for Nice, scoring eight goals and providing 11 assists. Liverpool have already strengthened their midfield with the addition of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister for a reported £35m.
The Reds have released Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin and James Milner following the end of their respective deals. Milner has made the switch to Brighton while Keita has moved back to Germany with Werder Bremen.
Speaking earlier this month while on international duty with France, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate said he hoped Thuram would make the move to Liverpool.
“I would be very happy for him [Thuram] to come to Liverpool and I would take him under my wing and I would do everything for him to progress and become the player he wants to become,” Konate said while speaking to RMC Sport.
“Khephren is like my little brother, he’s someone I saw growing up. I was with his big brother [Marcus] in the training centre, but I saw him grow.
“I saw him perform and progress at a level… it was incredible. Even when he came to the France team for his first selection. I saw him at the training and I was really surprised by his size and his technical ease.”