Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate faces disappointment as his French compatriot Khephren Thuram is on the verge of joining Juventus, despite Liverpool’s interest in the midfielder.
Thuram, 23, had been a key target for Liverpool as they aimed to strengthen their midfield options under new coach Arne Slot. Konate, who plays alongside Thuram in the French national team, had publicly expressed his support for Thuram joining Liverpool to provide competition in midfield alongside players like Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo.
However, it appears Juventus has beaten Liverpool to the signing, with Thuram set to reunite with his father Lilian Thuram’s former club, where the elder Thuram made over 200 appearances and won two league titles. Konate, who joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2022, has established himself as a top centre-back alongside Virgil Van Dijk, helping the team concede just 41 goals in the last Premier League season, a tally only surpassed by Manchester City and Arsenal.
In an interview with RMC Sport, Konate expressed his enthusiasm for Thuram potentially joining Liverpool: “I would be very happy for him to come to Liverpool. I would take him under my wing and do everything I could to help him progress and become the player he wants to become. 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.”
Despite Konate’s hopes, Thuram will now follow his brother Marcus to Italy, where Marcus plays for Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan, the reigning Serie A champions.
With Thuram’s impending move to Juventus, Liverpool will need to reconsider their options for midfield reinforcements, with reported interests in players like Manuel Ugarte from Manchester United and Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich now under consideration.
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