Tottenham Hotspur are contemplating a January move for Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram, a target for Arsenal.
If Italian reporter Ignazio Genuardi is to be believed, Tottenham could raid Borussia Monchengladbach to seal a deal for Marcus Thuram. The 25-year-old, a target for Arsenal, is currently representing France in the World Cup. Gladbach will demand €20 million to part ways with Thuram.
Tottenham had one of the busiest summer transfer windows, as Fabio Paratici handed over Antonio Conte a number of his favourite players. But the north Londoners’ fortunes have not changed much.
Their lacklustre effort in the UEFA Champions League almost got them in trouble, while they have also lost their initial advantage in the Premier League, leaving the Italian manager in a spot of bother.
Conte will be using the January transfer window to fix the problem areas. And signing a forward is at the top of his list. While Harry Kane has fired, Son Heung-min and Richarlison have not really helped with their attacking output. So the Tottenham manager wants to add a new forward to add some competition to the squad. Thuram has thus emerged as a viable target.
Thuram is a very talented player, and he might need the perfect stage to elaborate his skillset. The French international has already netted ten goals alongside three assists in the Bundesliga. And his form also earned him a call-up to the French squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 25-year-old could become a free agent in the summer transfer window when his deal expires. And Thuram could initiate contacts with foreign clubs like Tottenham and Arsenal as he will be eligible to sign a pre-contract with any outfit.
Borussia Monchengladbach would not stand in his way if he decides to leave in January. But the German outfit will demand €20 million to part ways with him. So it will be interesting to see if Tottenham will be open to shelling out such a sum for Thuram.
An alternate approach might be needed for Spurs, and Thuram could offer that dimension as he loves to take a direct approach to the goal. But Arsenal are also in the mix for Thuram, and Tottenham could receive some serious competition from their North London rivals.
The extent of Gabriel Jesus’s injury is still unknown, and Mikel Arteta wants to have a contingency plan ready in case the Brazilian striker does not get fit in time for the table toppers. It will be interesting to see who among Arsenal and Tottenham win the €20 million race to sign the Frenchman.
A move for Thuram makes no sense for Tottenham. The Spurs just signed Richarlison for 50 million in the Summer, to be Harry Kane’s partner and back up. From Thuram’s side, why would a player who is in his break out season leave a team where he plays every game (scoring 10 league goals and registering 3 assists in 15 games) for one where he’d be lucky to get a dozen minutes a game as a late-match sub?
Thuram is rated highly, after all, he played for France in the world Cup, but he is having by far his best-ever season and just emerging at 25. The worst thing for his career would be to join a side battling for every point as Spurs vChampions league football; where he would need to battle two established stars for minutes. What Thursam needs to lots of minutes, lots of chances to score, and a manager who will keep playing him even if he has a dry spell in front of goal. He would not get that at Tottenham, the club could not risk their place in the table for Thuram’s continued development.
The best move for Thuram would be to play out the dseason at Monchenglabach and, should his form continue, look to move on off the back of a 20-goal complete season. His value would be exponentially higher and a team that signs him more likelly to give him chances and keep giving him chances if the transition took time.