Yours for €60m: Richard Hughes wants deal for French midfielder

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has identified Juventus midfielder Khéphren Thuram as a prime summer target and is prepared to trigger a €60 million release to bring the 25-year-old to Anfield, according to Calcio Mercato.

The renewed interest arrives at a moment of transition for the Reds’ engine room. Curtis Jones is stalling on an extension that expires in 2027, while veteran Wataru Endo is also entering the final year of his deal and could be moved to recoup value. Manager Arne Slot, meanwhile, has seen diminishing returns from 2024-25 title-winning stalwarts Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, prompting Hughes to scour Europe for reinforcements.

Thuram, a France international who joined Juventus from Nice in July 2024 for roughly €20 million, is under contract in Turin until June 2029. Juve are already negotiating an extension to 2030 that would double his current €2 million net salary to €4 million, a raise designed to fend off a growing list of suitors that now includes Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.

Standing 1.92 m, Thuram has evolved into a box-to-box mainstay for Juventus, prized for his ability to carry the ball through midfield and launch attacks with forward surges and pre-assists. After an uneven first season in Serie A, he has cemented his place in the rotation and is viewed by the club as a cornerstone of their medium-term project.

Liverpool’s willingness to meet the €60 million valuation would test Juventus’ resolve, especially if the Bianconeri fail to secure Champions League qualification and are forced to balance the books. Hughes, armed with a flexible wage structure, could comfortably absorb Thuram’s current €2 million salary and any performance-related bonuses, though matching Juve’s proposed €4 million package might prove decisive in any tug-of-war.

The pursuit of Thuram revives a storyline three years in the making; Liverpool passed on the midfielder in 2021 only to watch him blossom in Ligue 1 and now Serie A. With midfield reinforcements atop Hughes’ agenda, the coming weeks could determine whether Anfield becomes Thuram’s next destination.