Italian giants Juventus have reportedly made Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram their number one transfer target amid competition from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Bianconeri have been plunged into a midfield crisis due to the off-field indiscretions of Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli, the former of whom tested positive for non-endogenous testosterone earlier this season.
A random drugs test taken from August showed abnormally high levels of the hormone, and a subsequent counter-analysis confirmed the diagnosis, which could see the Frenchman punished by a ban of up to four years.
The former Manchester United man - whose second stint in Turin has also been blighted by injuries - is expected to have his contract ripped up if he is slapped with a lengthy suspension as expected, while Fagioli is already on the banned list amid the recent Italian betting scandal.
The 22-year-old recently admitted to gambling on illegal platforms and has been suspended for seven months by the Italian Football Federation, meaning that he will not be able to represent his club again until May.
While Fagioli will therefore be eligible to return for Juventus in the 2024-25 season barring any extensions to his suspension, Juve will be on the lookout for a permanent successor to Pogba next summer.
The future of Adrien Rabiot is also clouded in uncertainty amid persistent links with Manchester United, although the former Paris Saint-Germain lynchpin has hinted that he is prepared to sign a contract extension in Turin.
Nevertheless, with Pogba set to bid a bittersweet farewell, Calciomercato states Nice's Thuram is at the top of the Old Lady's engine room wishlist for next summer's transfer window.
The 22-year-old's stock has risen significantly since he ended his association with Monaco in 2019 to join Nice, who poached him from Les Monegasques on a free transfer due to the expiration of his contract.
Over the past four years, Thuram has developed into one of Les Aiglons' most influential performers and has turned out 145 times for the club in all tournaments, banking eight goals and setting up 11 more.
Thuram has already made seven starts during the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season, during which Nice have unexpectedly navigated their first nine games unbeaten under Francesco Farioli, winning five and drawing four of their opening nine contests.
The second-placed Aiglons are only one point behind Thuram's former club Monaco at the top of the table, although the Frenchman missed their 1-0 win over Marseille at the weekend through suspension.
Liverpool were believed to be considering a move for Thuram last summer before turning their attention to alternative targets, but the Reds are still said to retain an interest in the 22-year-old amid Thiago Alcantara's expected exit in 2024.
Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest, but Thuram has familial ties to Serie A, as his father Lilian Thuram represented Juventus between 2001 and 2006 while his brother Marcus Thuram is on the books at Inter Milan.
Lilian Thuram is understood to be driving Juve's interest in his son, who has now entered the final two years of his contract with Nice and could supposedly be available for under €40m (£34.9m) next summer. body check tags ::
