Manchester United’s summer transfer plans are no secret. They want a new midfielder, maybe even two.
The clubs on sale know that, and they will have to pay a hefty price to land their top targets, especially since most of them play in the Premier League.
Indeed, with Casemiro confirming he will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, there will be a huge hole in the middle of the park, but it remains to be seen how they will cover that crack.
Sandro Tonali has emerged on the shortlist in recent weeks, but he is not the only one.
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Last week, talk of Tonali moving from Newcastle United to Manchester United really ramped up. Over the weekend, it was revealed that Red Devils bosses had begun talks with the Italian midfielder’s entourage, but a move has not progressed.
Who else is on your radar? Their interest in Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson is well-documented, as is Crystal Palace’s interest in Adam Wharton.
Anderson is said to be their dream target, but all three of these players could cost close to £100m, such is the hype around them.
As a result, INEOS must also consider cheaper alternatives. According to Italian reports, one of those players could be Juventus’ Kefren Thuram, the son of French World Cup winner Lilian Thuram.
Italian newspaper Gazzetta claim that Juve are likely to be forced to sell “top players” this summer, with Thuram not immune to this. As a result, English clubs have already started ‘calling’ about the player, with United among the clubs who have registered an interest.
Liverpool are also closely monitoring the player’s situation, but it is Michael Carrick’s side who have initiated negotiations and are reported to have inquired about the possibility of signing Thuram.
His transfer fee won’t be cheap, but it’s likely to be cheaper than Tonali and others. According to the report, Juve value the French midfielder at around £60 million.
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Comparison between Thuram and Pogba
Think back to nearly 10 years ago. The year is 2016 and the month is August. A player named Paul Pogba has just returned to Manchester for £89 million. This remains the club’s transfer fee record.
His reunion in the north-west of England didn’t all go well, but he remains one of the most memorable players we’ve seen set foot at Old Trafford in the past decade.
Filled with class, flair and a simple ability to change games and dominate the midfield, the French superstar made 233 appearances for United, scoring 39 goals and providing 51 assists. I have to say that this is a pretty convenient record for a midfielder.
Sixteen of those goals came in an incredible individual campaign in 2018/19, but that quickly fell apart for him. Why is it relevant now? Well, he signed from Juventus, a club that Thuram could also move to.
However, it’s not just a comparison of the clubs that both players played for. In fact, according to Como scout Ben Mattinson, Thuram is actually “very similar to a young Pogba”.
why? As Mattinson points out, “Some thought Pogba was a defensive midfielder, but he never showed the defensive understanding to be elite there. What separated him was always his attacking ability. Thuram’s case is both.”
Mattinson continued: “It is clear why Thuram was initially played as a holding midfielder. His physicality is elite and his height and strength allow him to win duels.”
Thuram’s career in numbers | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | Goal + Assist |
2020/21 | 33 | 2 |
2021/22 | 41 | 6 |
2022/23 | 48 | 10 |
2023/24 | 29 | 2 |
2024/25 | 47 | 10 |
2025/26 | 38 | 6 |
But the 25-year-old is more than just the winner of the duels Pogba was famous for.
While Thuram hasn’t contributed much in the final third, scoring three goals and providing four assists in 2025/26, it’s easy to see why he’s being compared to Pogba.
Not only is he a physical specimen who ranks in the top 22% of Serie A midfielders for tackles per 90, he is also a ball-carrying machine, which is what made Pogba the player he is.
According to DataMB, Thuram will be among the best 3% of Italian progressive carry midfielders in the top league in the 2025/26 season. His dribbling success rate is an impressive 61.3%, which ranks him at 17%, the highest among midfielders.
It may be a different skillset to Casemiro, but United will essentially be signing a player who can, frankly, actually run.
Thuram has similar tackling ability to Casemiro, better ball-carrying ability than Casemiro, and interestingly, they may even survive the Brazilian’s set-piece threat.
Thuram ranks among the best 8% of headers in a season among players in a similar position in Serie A.
So while it may be understandable that there will be calls for players like Anderson and Tonali, supporters should not turn their noses up at Thuram. He has really great attributes.
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