Arsenal and Liverpool are in a battle to sign Borussia Mönchengladbach star Marcus Thuram next summer, as per the Spanish outlet AS.
The 25-year-old has been enjoying a stellar campaign at Borussia-Park this term, scoring 10 goals and notching up three assists in 17 Bundesliga appearances so far.
The forward was also in France’s 26-man World Cup squad and featured for his country as they went all the way to the final before losing to Argentina on penalties.
Thuram has entered the final six months of his current contract and has made it clear he won’t be signing an extension. Therefore, he is set to leave the club as a free agent and several clubs around Europe are looking to take advantage of his situation.
Sports Witness cites and translates the print version of AS as saying that Arsenal are showing an keen interest in signing Thuram for free at the end of this season. However, they are set to face competition from Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp is also eyeing a bargain swoop for the attacker this summer.
Battle
In addition, the report says Arsenal and Liverpool will face further competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham while Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have also expressed their interest.
The report further claims that qualification to the Champions League is vital in order to secure the 25-year-old’s signature as the player is keen on playing in this competition.
So, Premier League leaders Arsenal are in an advantageous position over Liverpool as they are on course to return to Europe’s elite competition next season. The Merseysiders are currently 10 points off the top four in 10th so they face an uphill battle to maintain their Champions League status.
Thuram is quick, strong, good in the air, has an eye for scoring goals and also works hard without possession. So, he would be a very good acquisition for Arsenal or Liverpool if either club was able to lure him to England.
The Gladbach man is valued at around £28m by Transfermarkt, therefore, signing a player of his quality for free would certainly be a great piece of business. Thuran can play through the middle or from the flanks so his versatility would be a useful asset for Mikel Arteta or Jurgen Klopp.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming months but it looks like Arsenal and Liverpool are going to be fighting it out to snap-up Thuran on a bosman this summer, and he’d be an excellent addition to either squad.
