14 July 2024
His talent is immediately clear, with an outstanding physical presence, impressive athleticism and a surname worthy of the keys to the stadium: Khephren Thuram is a valuable addition to this team. The younger brother of Inter striker Marcus, Juventus once more have a Thuram who will follow in the footsteps of his father Lilian.
HIS JOURNEY SO FAR
Born in Reggio Emilia whilst his father was a Parma player, Khephren showed great potential to become a footballer of the highest level from an early age. He signed for Monaco in 2016, where he finished his education, whilst displaying extraordinary technical ability. After a short while he made his first team debut, in the Champions League no less. In 2019, he signed with Nice and at the age of just 19 became well-established in Les Aiglons’ starting line-up, unphased by playing on the big stage. He remained a key player there for five seasons, accumulating 167 appearances and 9 goals, a respectable tally for just 23 years old.
With the French National Side, he came up through practically all of the youth ranks from the Under 16s and above. On 24th March 2023 he made his senior international debut against the Netherlands during a European Championships qualifier.
THURAM’S PROFILE
At 23 years old and standing at 6’3” with a strong build, Thuram is naturally right footed and possesses excellent close control with the ball at his feet. The Frenchman’s footballing characteristics can be described in so many ways, however, watching him play is perhaps the easiest way to incapsulate the qualities of the midfielder who frequently recovers possession for his side, and is capable of launching attacking moves from within his own half. A modern and brave player, Thuram stands out for his tactical acumen, often reading the game well when out of possession and then able to act on this decisively to win the ball in transition. His exceptional eye for a forward or long pass serves him well when under pressure even in potentially dangerous areas of the pitch. The feeling within the club is that we have before our eyes a player capable of splitting teams in two thanks to his dynamic interpretation of the number 8 role.
HOW HE WILL FIT IN AT JUVE
If Douglas Luiz can operate in the role of holding midfielder providing balance to the side, Thuram appears to have the ideal qualities to link the midfield and attack. During his time at Bologna, Coach Thiago Motta often rotated the central midfielders, getting the best out of many players, and consequently Khephren’s adaptation period and introduction could be gradual. The player often operated in a midfield three at Nice, mostly playing as the left sided central midfielder, but also sometimes operating as a playmaker or attacking midfielder. His impact within Italian football is still to be discovered, but Thuram’s abilities as a modern footballer match those required to be a valuable addition from the outset.
