Klopp and Ten Hag get glowing Khephren Thuram transfer reference

Stuart Telford

• 23 Mar 2023 19:20 GMT
• 3 min read

Liverpool and Manchester United are both reportedly interested in Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram, and his current manager Didier Digard has given him a glowing reference.

Thuram is the younger brother of Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus - who is also linked with a move to the Premier League next summer - and the son of France's record cap-holder Lilian.

Both sons have been called up to the most recent France squad for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Netherlands and Ireland, and Khephren in particular has been singled out for praise after his recent form.

READ: Liverpool target gets first France call-up

"Khephren's fantastic," said his head coach at Nice, former PSG and Middlesbrough midfielder Didier Digard. "He's very hardworking, very attentive. On rest days he's at the training centre. He recovers quickly for back-to-back matches and completes high-intensity training.

“He listens and applies himself. He has room for improvement and he's in demand. He simply eats up video analysis, additional sessions. He also advises others, because he takes on a leadership role. He's also discovering himself as a person.

Digard: Thuram needs to stay in Nice!

"He's already in the France team, but I'm convinced that he'll have a very big career. But there must still be a little bit in Nice to go to continue his progress!"

READ: How Klopp can solve Liverpool's midfield woes: Three attainable transfer targets

Khephren is set to make his debut in the coming days, which could see his value climb yet higher than the €22.3 million it is currently rated at by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.

In any case, the central midfielder would be a budget-friendly alternative to Jude Bellingham at Liverpool, with Borussia Dortmund understood to be holding out for significantly more than €100m for their England midfielder.

United bolstered their midfield last summer with the €80m acquisition of Casemiro from Real Madrid, but Erik ten Hag would like another player to join the Brazilian in a double pivot if Marcel Sabitzer's loan from Bayern Munich is not made permanent.