Liverpool have been forced to get creative and look elsewhere for a midfield addition after accepting that Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham was out of their price range.
The Reds had been linked with a move for the England international for months and speculation really hotted up during the World Cup as Bellingham was spending plenty of time with Liverpool duo Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold while away on Three Lions duty out in Qatar.
However, it has since emerged that Jurgen Klopp and co. are resigned to the fact that Bellingham is more likely to join one of Manchester City or Real Madrid given their significantly higher spending power.
As a result, Liverpool have had to draw up a shortlist of alternative options given their midfield is in dire need of some fresh blood regardless of whether Bellingham arrives at Anfield or not. One of the names on that list is thought to be young France international and Nice star Khephren Thuram.
While the 22-year-old will be cheaper than Bellingham, that's not to suggest Liverpool won't have to still fork out a decent-sized fee for Thuram. The fact he was recently handed his Les Bleus call-up by Didier Deschamps has only added to his potential price-tag.
Liverpool are one of a number of clubs keen on landing Thuram's services and while the son of French World Cup winner Lilian Thuram has been described as incredibly ambitious, Nice are desperate to keep hold of him for as long as possible.
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The Ligue 1 outfit are believed to value Thuram at around £60million, but will do all they can to ensure the midfielder remains at the club by the time the summer transfer window closes.
It would suggest that this entire transfer will come down to if Liverpool stump up the asking price.
That shouldn't be too much of an issue if Klopp's recent remarks are anything to go by, with the Reds boss confirming that the club are aiming to spend this summer after persistent criticism from the fanbase over regular tightening of the purse strings.
"We will spend in the summer, that's what I can say definitely," he admitted. "The club will spend in the summer, definitely. For who and how many and stuff like this, there is nothing to say about, really."
He added: "We are busy, you can imagine."
It is essential, off the back of a severely underwhelming campaign, that Liverpool strengthen in the required areas which is undeniably the middle of the park, especially given the likes of Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are approaching the tail-end of their respective careers.
