09 November 2023 , 16:22
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Nice star Khephren Thuram has said he was sure he wanted to stay at the Allianz Riviera, despite summer interest from the likes of Liverpool.
Thuram, the son of former France international Lilian, made his senior international debut for Les Bleus in March. His form in France saw Liverpool heavily linked, only for Jurgen Klopp to instead sign four other midfielders.
Klopp has been rebuilding at Anfield with Dominik Szoboszlai pulling the strings after a big-money move from RB Leipzig, while Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch have all been bedding in. There was a time when it looked as though one of those four slots would be Thuram's, but the 23-year-old has made his position clear.
“I think I’ve started the season well," Thuram told reporters ahead of Friday's Ligue 1 meeting with Montpellier (as translated by Get French Football News). "The team has of course had a very good start to the season. I have developed aspects of my game. Regarding what happened in the transfer window, I decided to stay.
“I wanted to continue to progress at Nice, and progress as a player at this club. Honestly, it made me happy to be linked to all these clubs left, right and centre. It shows I’m doing the right things but as I said, I knew I wanted to stay here,” he added.
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Nice finished ninth last season during a tough campaign which saw manager Lucien Favre dismissed midway through the season. They have thrived under new boss Francesco Farioli, though, and sit top of the table going into this weekend's fixtures.
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Khephren Thuram has played for France at under-21 and senior level (Flaviu Buboi/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)Farioli acknowledged the links over the summer, but was consistent in his hope that Thuram - as well as Manchester United-linked centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo - would stick around. "We hear and read a lot of rumours about players leaving," the manager said in early August.
"We want to have both of them until the end of the season, that’s what the management wants as well. As long as they’re here, as long as possible I hope, they have to concentrate on the club, even for their own individual journey."
While Mac Allister has yet to open his account for Liverpool, their other midfield signings have all been on target. Reds manager Klopp has hailed the new arrivals, with deadline day signing Gravenberch earning praise after scoring his first for the club in October.
“I think it's really obvious how good he is, what a talent he is,” Klopp said. “He's enjoying the situation, enjoying himself, that's very important, (he) gets step by step all the confidence back, that's really cool to see.