Liverpool speed up midfield signing No 3, as club drops huge clue Man Utd, Newcastle target will move too

Liverpool are ‘speeding things up’ with regards to signing Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram, and a clue inadvertently dropped by the French side suggests a player wanted by Man Utd and Newcastle could also leave.

The Reds are on the cusp of landing midfielder number two, with Dominik Szoboszlai undergoing a medical on Merseyside this evening.

Barring any late drama, the Hungary ace, 22, will join Alexis Mac Allister in revamping Liverpool’s sub-par midfield this summer.

However, with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Arthur Melo (loan expiry) and Leighton Clarkson all leaving, a third arrival is expected.

Fabrizio Romano termed Nice midfielder, Khephren Thuram, a “concrete target” last Wednesday. The France international is far more defensive-minded than Mac Allister and Szoboszlai and could be viewed as the long-term replacement for Fabinho.

Thuram – who made his senior debut for France in March – was named in the Ligue 1 team of the season last year.

On the back of a breakthrough campaign, Nice reportedly hope to generate around €40m-€45m if forced into cashing in this summer. That roughly equates to £34.4m-£38.7m at current exchange rate.

There has been speculation Nice fully intend to retain Thuram for at least one more year. However, according to Italian journalist Rudi Galetti, Liverpool won’t be deterred.

Indeed, Galetti tweeted Liverpool are ‘speeding things up for Khephren Thuram’.

The reporter added Liverpool want to wrap up a deal with all haste amid concerns Newcastle are about to enter the race. Per Galetti, the Magpies are ‘starting to move concretely’ for the Frenchman.

Nice kit launch excludes Thuram and Man Utd, Newcastle target

Clues about potential transfers are everywhere during the windows, and per the Daily Express, one has been found on Nice’s social media channels.

Indeed, the Express confirmed Liverpool are ‘at the front of the queue’ for Thuram, before pointing to the player’s curious absence during Nice’s new kit launch on Saturday afternoon.

Thuram is one of Nice’s star players and his absence from the promotional video certainly raises eyebrows. The inference there is Nice didn’t include the player in the knowledge he might not be with the club come next season.

Another player not included in the kit launch footage was Man Utd and Newcastle target, Jean-Clair Todibo.

Fabrizio Romano and CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs both confirmed Todibo is one of two centre-backs Man Utd have fixed their gaze on after missing out on Kim Min-jae. The other is Monaco’s Axel Disasi.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have scouted Todibo, according to The Chronicle. Reports in France claim Todibo could fetch in the range of €30m-€40m if sold this summer.

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