Manchester City now want to sign Khephren Thuram – a player who has been compared to Steven Gerrard.
It was Calciomercato who claimed that Pep Guardiola is interested in the Frenchman.
So, who compared Manchester City target Khephren Thuram to Steven Gerrard? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, it was Jermaine Pennant who likened the France international to the Liverpool legend.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the 40-year-old said: “He’s like a box-to-box midfielder. He scores goals, and he can go past players. He can have the ball at his feet, be able to go past players and then score goals.
“I am not going to put him next to a Steven Gerrard because he was one of his own but, if I can say it, he’s of that mould. He is one of those players. Back to the goal, he can skip past a player. He’s technically gifted. Amazing. Great athlete, strong and quick. Also got an eye for assists and goals.”
Calciomercato believe OGC Nice do not want to sell Thuram in January, so Manchester City may have to wait until the end of the season before opening concrete talks with the French outfit.
Interest in the 22-year-old comes after Liverpool were heavily linked with a move during the summer transfer window, but according to Fabrizio Romano, the deal was too expensive.
Jürgen Klopp chose to sign Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister instead, with Foot Mercato claiming that OGC Nice wanted €50m (£43m).
Khephren Thuram could replace Kalvin Phillips at Manchester City
The timing of Calciomercato’s story is interesting, amid doubts over the future of Kalvin Phillips at the Etihad Stadium.
A story from ESPN claimed that the England international is considering an exit from Manchester City due to a lack of playing time.
Phillips himself even said “I want minutes” during the recent international break as he targets a place in England’s UEFA EURO 2024 squad.
Therefore, interest in Thuram could be a sign that Manchester City are already on the lookout to replace their No.4 in 2024.
